Game Notes | Stats vs. EWU | Stats vs. UI | Listen on KISU 91.1 FM or on Stretch | Watch both matches here or on Pluto TV Channel 243
POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State looks to remain undefeated in Big Sky play as the team returns to Reed Gym to host Eastern Washington and Idaho. The Bengals kick-off homecoming week with their match against the Eagles on Thursday before playing 2018's inaugural Battle of the Domes event against the Vandals on Saturday.
Last Time Out
Idaho State collected a five-set win over Northern Arizona and a sweep of Southern Utah on the road last week.
Chelsea Johnson had a career weekend with nine kills, 95 assists, an ace, 15 digs, and three blocks across the eight sets of play. She tallied seven kills on 12 attacks and added 64 digs against Northern Arizona; all were career-highs for the sophomore.
Abby Garrity posted double-doubles in both matches with 33 kills, five assists, three aces, 28 digs and four block assists total.
Brooke Pehrson and
Taylor Meeks each had 20 kills and Pehrson led all attackers with a .341 hitting percentage. She also tallied a team-high 14 blocks.
Raegan Steiner added 16 kills and 11 blocks, and
Duquesne Moratzka had 12 kills with three block assists.
Haylie Keck averaged 5.75 digs per set with 46 total, and
Nikole Cook and
Mahala Bradburn combined for 34 more.
The team averaged 14.5 kills, 13.2 assists, 1.1 aces, 17.2 digs and 2.9 blocks per set last weekend.
Scouting Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington carries an 8-6 record overall but dropped both conference matches in the opening week of Big Sky play. The Eagles were swept by Idaho at home and by Northern Colorado on the road. EWU has won just one of its five matches on the road this season.
Kennedy Kaminsky and Alexandra Espinosa both eclipsed 100 kills for the season last week. Kaminsky leads all Eagles with 112 kills and a .241 hitting percentage.
Both Puaoolelagi Sao and Catelyn Linke average more than three digs per set with Sao at the forefront at 3.82 per contest. Three EWU players average about 0.7 blocks per match, and Kamille Langford is averaging 0.93 stuffs per match.
The Eagles have a .173 hitting percentage for the season and average 11.6 kills, 10.6 assists, 1.4 aces, 17.2 digs and 1.9 blocks per set. The team lost eight student-athletes, including five starters, during the offseason. Eastern Washington was picked 11th in the conference preseason poll.
Leslie Flores-Cloud is in her inaugural season as the head coach at Eastern Washington.
Idaho State is 37-40 against Eastern Washington with an 18-16 record at home. The Bengals won both matchups in 2017 with a sweep of the Eagles at home.
Scouting Idaho
Idaho earned nine of the 11 first-place votes in the preseason poll as the conference favorite. The Vandals are 8-6 with a perfect record in conference play after sweeping Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado on the road.
Idaho features some of the strongest net play in the conference with national ranks of No. 27 in blocks per set (2.65) and No. 41 in hitting percentage (.254). Kaela Straw, Sarah Sharp and Reece Carman average 3.70, 2.98 and 3.24 kills per set respectively, and Devonne Ryter is No. 28 in hitting percentage at .390.
Haylee Mathis ranks fifth among Big Sky players with 9.75 assists per set and three Vandals average at least one block per set.
As a team, Idaho is hitting .254 and averaging 12.9 kills, 12.1 assists, 1.0 aces, 14.6 digs and 2.6 blocks per set.
Debbie Buchanan has been head coach at Idaho for 19 seasons with a 273-258 overall record. She has led Idaho to 13-consecutive Big Sky tournaments.
Idaho State is 18-22 against Idaho with a 7-8 record in Reed Gym. The teams split the series last season with each school sweeping the other at home.
Idaho State National Rankings (Big Sky Rank)
Chelsea Johnson is No. 5 (1) in assists with 639 and No. 27 (1) in assists per set with 11.02.
Brooke Pehrson is No. 31 (1) in blocks per set with 1.35 and No. 6 (2) in total blocks with 77.
Haylie Keck is No. 41 (3) in digs per set with 5.07 and No. 21 (2) in digs with 294.
Abby Garrity is No. 60 (1) kills per set with 3.91, No. 49 (2) points with 233.5, No. 87 (3) points per set with 4.17, No. 34 (3) in attacks with 607 and No. 30 (2) in total kills with 219.
Idaho State is No. 94 (3) in hitting percentage (.229), No. 37 (2) in team assists (709), No. 39 (2) in kills (752), No. 65 (3) in aces (79), No. 69 (3) in attacks (1,996) and No. 64 (4) in blocks (123.0).
