POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State volleyball delivered its grittiest performance of Big Sky play Wednesday night, outlasting Montana State 3–2 (25–20, 25–21, 20–25, 20–25, 15–12) in front of an energized Reed Gym crowd.
The victory marked Idaho State's first five-set match of conference play, and the Bengals rose to the occasion, improving to 10–17 overall and 6–9 in the Big Sky, while the Bobcats fell to 13–13 and 8–7.
Recap
Idaho State stormed through the first two sets behind powerful swings from its hitters, hitting .368 and .406 to control the early momentum. Head Coach Sean Carter praised the firepower ISU displayed out of the gate.
"Our outside hitters, especially early on, were hitting the ball as hard as I can remember them hitting it," he said. "To beat a team like Montana State—one of the best floor-defending teams in our league—you have to bring out your best."
Montana State responded by taking sets three and four, capitalizing on ISU miscues to push the match into a decisive fifth set. Carter noted how easily the match could have slipped away.
"After set three where we made a ton of errors, and after letting set four get away, they didn't let it get to them," he said. "They just hung in there and competed."
The turning point came in the fifth set when Chloe Heimlicher, who had not played the entire match, entered cold off the bench to serve at 1–1.
"Chloe hadn't played all match, comes in during the fifth set, scores four points on her five serves, and makes the best dig of the night," Carter said. "That was huge."
Her roommate and junior standout Jaydin Watts echoed that sentiment:
"Chloe is just the girl. She's loud, she's going to get the ball, she's going to tell you what to do if you're not doing it—and she's not afraid to," Watts said. "I'm so proud of her for coming in cold and playing her butt off."
Freshman setter Nora Waddoups, who orchestrated ISU's offense throughout the night, said the team leaned heavily on the energy inside Reed Gym.
"I was just very excited to get the win," Waddoups said. "The energy was awesome, and it really helped us make some big plays."
Montana State had swept the Bengals earlier this season in Bozeman, something the players didn't forget.
"They gave us a little butt whooping last time," Watts said. "It felt fair to give one back."
ISU finished with 63 kills, 82 digs, and 17 blocks —all top-three marks for any match this season.
Bengal Leaders
Wilson delivered her best Big Sky match of the season, earning her second career double-double
• Jaydin Watts – "I'm Getting Offensive Player This Week"
Watts was unstoppable in the middle, finishing with:
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12 kills on .556 hitting
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7 blocks
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16.0 points
She revealed postgame that this performance was no accident.
"Yesterday I told Chloe, 'I'm getting Offensive Player this week. I don't care what it takes,'" she said. "I've wanted that forever, so I'm trying my best to get there."
• Marci Bell – Dominant at the Net
Bell added:
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8 kills (.292)
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9 blocks
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13.0 points
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12 kills
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2 blocks
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12.0 points
The freshman setter delivered another elite outing:
Carter raved about her growth:
"She might be Setter of the Year one day. She's top 10 in digs, would be top five in hitting percentage with just a few more attempts, and she's a true freshman. What else could she do for us?"
Waddoups said her defensive mindset led the way:
"I just have the mentality of 'I'm not letting this ball drop,'" she said. "Our hitters were doing great, our passing was great, and that made it easy to distribute the ball."
She also praised libero Jenna Werbelow's leadership:
"She's really loud and commands the back row. She makes everything easier for the rest of us."
Werbelow finished with:
Carter highlighted her competitiveness:
"Montana State has one of the best liberos in Big Sky history, and Jenna had just one fewer dig. When she's on, she's really good."
By the Numbers
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Idaho State hit .226 as a team with 63 kills.
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ISU recorded 28 block assists (2nd-most this season).
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ISU's 82 digs were the third-most in any match this year.
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Four Bengals reached double-digit digs.
Carter noted,
"To beat a team like this, you need season-high numbers—and we got them."
Watts added that the win gives ISU a powerful jolt heading into the final match before the conference tournament:
"This didn't just give us confidence—this gave us grit. We have nothing left to lose and everything to give."
Bengal Bites
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Idaho State wins its first 5-set Big Sky match of the season.
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Wilson: 15 kills, 11 digs, 5 blocks, 17.5 points.
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Watts: 12 kills (.556), 7 blocks, 16.0 points.
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Bell: 8 kills, 9 blocks, 13.0 points.
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McClain: 12 kills, 2 blocks, 12.0 points.
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Waddoups: 47 assists, 16 digs, 7 kills, 2 aces.
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Werbelow: 24 digs, 1 ace.
Next Up
Idaho State closes the regular season Friday night inside Reed Gym, hosting Montana on Senior Night at 7 p.m.
