POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State volleyball dropped its second Big Sky Conference match of the season on Saturday night, falling to Northern Arizona in straight sets 0–3 (20–25, 17–25, 24–26) at Reed Gym.
Recap
The Bengals fought hard in front of 703 fans, pushing the third set to extra points, but couldn't extend the match. ISU hit .148 as a team, finishing with 37 kills and 50 digs, while the Lumberjacks countered with a .210 attack percentage and 49 kills.
Jaydin Watts led the Bengals with 10 kills on .273 hitting, while Marci Bell followed closely with 9 kills and 5 total blocks. Brinley Smith added 6 kills, and Ava Brickner chipped in 4. Setter Nora Waddoups directed the offense with 15 assists and added 5 digs, while Sydney Hess came off the bench to add 10 assists.
Defensively, Meline Shulikov had a career-high 18 digs to go along with 3 blocks, while libero Jenna Werbelow added 8 digs. Bell and Watts combined for 15.5 of ISU's 48 total points.
Head Coach Sean Carter credited Northern Arizona's balance and defense, calling them "really good, maybe the team to beat in our league." He pointed to NAU's defensive numbers as a difference-maker.
Carter was encouraged by ISU's improvements, especially in the passing game compared to earlier in the week: "I thought we passed much better tonight than we did against Portland State, so it's frustrating because we're starting to figure some things out defensively. But we've got to learn how to close sets out."
The Bengals had their chances in the third set, leading late before NAU capitalized. Carter admitted the finish stung: "They had 11 errors in set three, and you should never lose that set when a team is siding out at 50%."
Looking ahead, Carter emphasized growth for his young roster: "We're talented and very young, but still need to improve in some areas. That will come with time. For us, it's about learning how to compete at a higher level and handle those moments late in sets. I believe we can turn it around, but we've got to go to another level than where we've currently been."
Bengal Bites
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Idaho State falls to 4–10 overall and 0–2 in Big Sky play.
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This was the Bengals' second Big Sky Conference match of the season.
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Career High: Meline Shulikov – 18 digs vs. Northern Arizona.
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Watts: team-high 10 kills on .273 hitting.
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Bell: 9 kills and 5 blocks.
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Smith: 6 kills; Brickner: 4 kills.
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Waddoups: 15 assists, 5 digs; Hess: 10 assists.
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ISU finished with 37 kills, 12 blocks, and 50 digs as a team.
Next Up
Idaho State continues Big Sky play at in Ogden, UT next Friday, October 3rd against the Weber State Wildcats.
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