Game 1: UCI 3 - ISU 1
POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State dropped the first match of the Bengal Invitational 3-1 (19-25, 22-25, 25-21, 22-25) to UC Irvine. The Bengals clawed back after losing the first two sets and came just shy of forcing a fifth.
After losing the first two sets 25-19 and 25-22 the Bengals didn't give up and came roaring back in the third set with a 61 percent attack percentage. Three Bengals ended the set with a 1.000 serve percentage.
In the fourth set, the Bengals and UC Irvine battled back and forth the entire set before UCI was able to pull away in the final five points, winning the set 25-22 and the match 3-1.
Two Bengals had kills in the double-digits. Kennedee Tracy had 13 kills and Sadie Bluth finished the match with 12 kills on 30 attempts.
Andri Dewey led the team in digs with 12 and in her first start as libero Asiah Sopoaga had 11.
Kaia Rhodes had two solo blocks and two block assists to lead the Bengals at the net.
The Orange and Black return to the court at 7:00 p.m. this evening to face Seattle U.
Gallery: (8-27-2021) Volleyball vs UC Irvine
POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State volleyball came roaring back in game two of its double-header defeating Seattle University 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-17, 21-25, 15-8) in front of a raucous crowd in Reed Gymnasium Friday evening.
The Bengals wasted no time taking the lead in the match, coming out strong in the first set and defeating the Redhawks 25-18.
Bengal freshman Sadie Bluth led the Bengals in the first set with five kills and a hitting percentage of .400.
The Bengals as a team finished the first set with a match high 72 percent attack percentage.
The two teams would duke it out back and forth over the next 3 sets with momentum swinging towards both teams before a final fifth set was needed.
The Bengals saw their share of five set games last season with many of them not going their way. The team was not going to allow that to happen this evening.
After giving up the first point of the fifth set, the Bengals roared back and quickly went up 5-1 forcing the Seattle coach to call a time out, much to the chagrin of the Idaho State men's basketball team sitting right behind the Seattle team.
Seattle would never get closer than three points in the fifth set and the Bengals would close it out with a final score of 15-8 and take the match 3-2.
The match marked the first Division I win for the Bengals since February of this last year and the Bengal crowd in attendance let the team hear their support.
The Bengals were just edged out on the battle at the net with Seattle recording 11 blocks and ISU netting 10. Reagan Kunz, Kaia Rhodes, and Danielle Devlin came up big when it mattered though and recorded massive blocks to keep the team's momentum going in the fifth set.
Devlin lead the team in hitting percentage at .467 with eight kills on 15 attacks. Taylor Burnham, Kennedee Tracy, and Bluth all had kills in the double-digits.
Asiah Sopoaga led the team with 17 digs and Andri Dewey followed just behind with 12.
The Bengals are back in action tomorrow evening as they face off with The University of Texas – El Paso at 7:30 in the final match of the Bengal Invitational.
