GREELEY, CO – Idaho State volleyball dropped the third match of its final Big Sky road trip Thursday night, falling 0–3 (21–25, 19–25, 21–25) to Northern Colorado inside Bank of Colorado Arena. The loss moves the Bengals to 9–16 overall and 5–8 in Big Sky play, while the Bears improve to 13–14 and 10–4 in conference action.
Recap
The Bengals battled throughout all three sets but were unable to string together enough scoring runs against one of the top defensive teams in the conference. Idaho State hit .133 for the match on 33 kills and 18 errors while Northern Colorado countered with .250 hitting and 49 kills.
Idaho State started the match competitively, hitting .194 in the opening frame behind six early kills from its Pins, but Northern Colorado's offense found a steady rhythm — particularly through outside hitter Brynn Reines and opposite Alayna Tessena — who combined for 29 kills on the night.
Redshirt freshman outside hitter Abby McClain led the Bengals with 7 kills on .263 hitting, adding six digs and 2 blocks. Redshirt senior right side Brinley Smith recorded 8 kills and 4 blocks.
Junior middle blocker Jaydin Watts added 6 kills on .357 hitting along with 5 block assists, while senior middle Marci Bell chipped in 5 kills and 3 blocks.
In the back row, libero Jenna Werbelow recorded 5 digs and an ace, while freshman defensive specialist Chloe Heimlicher led the team with 4 digs, serving in all three rotations. Kadence Marsh added 3 digs and 10 assists, while setter Nora Waddoups tallied 10 assists, 6 digs, and 3 kills on .333 hitting in two sets of action.
The Bengals' strongest offensive stretches came late in the first and third sets, when they narrowed deficits to 20–19 and 22–21, respectively. However, Northern Colorado closed both frames with timely side outs and back-to-back defensive stops to hold off ISU's late momentum.
Despite the sweep, Idaho State out-blocked Northern Colorado 19–18 in block assists, but Northern Colorado's five service aces and the Bengals' 11 service errors created separation throughout the match.
Bengal Bites
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Idaho State falls to 9–16 overall and 5–8 in Big Sky play.
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ISU hit .133 on the night with 33 kills.
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McClain: 7 kills (.263), 6 digs, 1 block (9.5 points).
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Smith: 8 kills (.091), 3 digs, 3 blocks (10.5 points).
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Watts: 6 kills (.357), 5 blocks (8.5 points).
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Waddoups: 10 assists, 6 digs, 3 kills (.333), 1 ace.
Next Up
Idaho State wraps up its final Big Sky road swing on Saturday, traveling to Flagstaff for a matchup with Northern Arizona at 11 a.m.
