Bengal Volleyball's Best Season in Nearly a Decade Comes to an End with 3-1 Loss at Wyoming

LARAMIE, Wyoming - The Idaho State volleyball team completed their postseason play on Thursday night, falling to the Wyoming Cowgirls in four sets, 3-1, in the first round of the NIVC. This was the Bengals' first postseason tournament selection since they made the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

In the match at Wyoming, the Cowgirls would come out firing on all cylinders, taking the first two sets, however, Idaho State would respond, dominating the 3^rd set, but after a valiant comeback effort in the fourth, Wyoming would take down Idaho State, 3-1. Offensively for ISU Sadie Bluth would lead the way, finishing with 11 kills, while Jaydin Watts would tally eight and Jamie Streit would finish with seven. Aliyah Sopo'aga would do her thing, dropping 31 assists in the match. On the defensive end the Bengals would show their defensive prowess, out blocking the Cowgirls 15-11, led by Marci Bell (8), Meline Robarge (5), and Aliyah Sopo'aga (5), while Asiah Sopo'aga and Jamie Streit led the team in digs. Asiah Sopo'aga finishing with a match-high 17, and Streit totaling 12. Following the loss, the Bengals will finish the season 21-10 overall and 11-5 in Big Sky play, their best marks in each tally since the 2015 season.

Head Coach Sean Carter shares his thoughts on the Bengals final match of the 2024 season, "We got off to a slow start in the first set, and couldn't overcome their 4 aces and our 4 missed serves. 

In the second set we fought back after going down 6-1 to get close around 16 points each, but then 3 straight unforced errors by us and they broke away.

In set 3 we dominated the whole way even despite a late 6 point run, but in set 4 we got out to another slow start. However, we made a run late, but again unforced serving errors kept us from closing the gap.

Unfortunately our lack of offense and attack errors did us in."

Several of the Bengal seniors will end their careers in the Idaho State All-Time record books, with each player being named to multiple All-Tournament Teams over the course of their careers:

• Sadie Bluth will end her career 9^th All-Time in ISU history in Kills (1,148), 7^th All-Time in Attacks (3,448), and T-13^th All-Time in Service Aces (101). Bluth will also finish Top 20 All-Time in Matches and Sets played.
• Aliyah Sopo'aga ends her Bengal career 8^th All-Time in Bengal history in Assists (2,237).
• Asiah Sopo'aga goes does as 4^th All-Time in Digs (1,473), and Top 20 All-Time in Matches and Sets played. Following this season Asiah will go down as 7^th All-Time in a Single-Season in Digs, finishing this year with 483.
• Jamie Streit will finish off her career 13^th All-Time in Kills (1,073), 9^th All-Time in Attacks (3,280), 15^th All-Time in Attack Percentage (.247),

Other Bengals also putting themselves in the Idaho State Single-Season record books include:

• Marci Bell ending this season 5^th in Attack Percentage in a Single-Season (.332), 4^th in Block Assists (142), and 10^th in Total Blocks (153)
• Meline Robarge ended the season 17^th All-Time in a Single-Season in Block Assists (120)
• Jaydin Watts ended her sophomore campaign 6^th in a Single-Season in Attack Percentage (.327), 3^rd in Block Assists (143), and 6^th in Total Blocks (161)

 

This season will go down as one of the most memorable in Idaho State Volleyball history, and the best in recent memory. The Bengals will end this season with one of their best blocking seasons in program history, and as one of the best teams in the nation. Idaho State will finish 1^st in the NCAA in Total Blocks (364), 3^rd in the NCAA in Blocks Per Set (2.96), will be the only team in the entire NCAA to have more than 1 player in the Top 20 in Total Blocks, and will be one of only two teams to finish with more than 1 player in the Top 55 in Blocks Per Set. With Jaydin Watts finishing 8^th in the Country and Marci Bell finishing T-19^th in Total Blocks and Watts finishing 29^th in the NCAA in Blocks Per Set, while Bell would finish 55^th.

The Bengals will have their best Big Sky regular season finish in a decade, as they would finish the regular season second in the conference standings, as well as earning their best overall and conference records since 2015. Idaho State would earn three All-Big Sky team members, Jaydin Watts and Aliyah Sopo'aga being named to the First Team, and Jamie Streit being named to the Second Team, for the first time since 2015, and Aliyah Sopo'aga was also the first Bengal since 2015 to be named to the Big Sky All-Tournament Team.

"I am extremely proud of our senior class and our overall season", shares Carter. "They brought our program out of the cellar. I believe our future is bright and even better seasons are ahead!"

Idaho State Volleyball thanks each and every one of our fans for your unwavering support and undying love this season. We look forward to improving over the offseason and getting prepared for next season. Go Bengals!
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