FLAGSTAFF, Arizona – Idaho State women's volleyball bounced back from a first-set loss to take the next three sets and defeat Northern Arizona 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-17, 25-17) Saturday at the Rolle Activity Center.

The victory moves the Bengals to 19-9 overall and 11-5 in Big Sky Conference play, while Northern Arizona falls to 18-11 overall and 11-5 in conference action.

"Very happy with the team finding ways to win on the road against two very good teams this weekend", shared Bengals' head coach, Sean Carter. "I thought we played great defense today and the offense did a great job taking what NAU gave us."

Ashlyn Smith turned in a career performance to lead the Bengals, recording career highs in kills, attack attempts and points. Smith finished with 16 kills on 24 attempts, committing just two errors for a .583 hitting percentage. She added five total blocks to finish with 19 points.

Jaydin Watts paced the Bengals with 17 kills, a season high and the second-highest single-match total of her career. Watts hit .600, finished with 18.5 points and recorded a service ace, her second of the season and 10th of her career.

"Ashlyn & Jaydin were the players of the game with career performances", said Carter. "Definitely a confidence builder moving toward the end of the season."

Nora Waddoups also delivered a standout performance, distributing a season-high 52 assists. The total marked the second-highest single-match assist output of her career. Waddoups added 17 digs as she helped guide an Idaho State offense that hit .293 for the match.

Gracie Vohs added 12 kills, the third-highest single-match total of her season. Mia Walsh also recorded 12 kills and finished with a team-high 19 digs.

Aspen Boice would also play a pivotal role on defense, finishing with 16 digs and one assist.

After dropping a tightly contested opening set, Idaho State found its rhythm in the second. The Bengals recorded 17 kills with just three errors on 32 attempts, hitting .438 to take the set 25-15 and even the match.

Idaho State carried that momentum into the third set, posting 15 kills and just two errors to hit .342. The Bengals pulled away for a 25-17 win and took a 2-1 lead.

The Bengals closed out the match with another strong offensive showing in the fourth. Idaho State recorded 18 kills on 43 attempts, hitting .349, and ended the match on a 5-0 run to secure the 25-17 set victory and the 3-1 match win.

As a team, Idaho State finished with 67 kills and an overall .293 hitting percentage, holding Northern Arizona to 44 kills and a .116 mark. The Bengals also finished with an 83-67 advantage in digs.
 

Bengal Bites

• Ashlyn Smith recorded career highs in kills (16), attack attempts (24) and points (19), hitting .583 with just two errors.

• Jaydin Watts recorded a season-high 17 kills, the second-highest single-match total of her career, while hitting .600. She also recorded her second service ace of the season and 10th of her career.

• Nora Waddoups finished with a season-high 52 assists, the second-highest single-match total of her career. She also added 17 digs (T-5th most in a match this season)

• Gracie Vohs recorded 12 kills, the third-highest single-match total of her season.

• Mia Walsh recorded her 12th double-double of the season, with 12 kills and a team-high 19 digs.

• Idaho State hit .293 as a team, their 3rd best hitting percentage in Big Sky play this season, and the highest since defeating Montana on Oct. 22nd

Up Next

Idaho State looks to wrap up their 2026 regular season next week, hosting Eastern Washington on Wednesday, Nov. 18th at 7 p.m., followed by the Bengals' regular season finale on Friday, Nov. 20th against the Idaho Vandals for Senior Day, also at 7 p.m. The Bengals will honor their lone senior, Jaydin Watts, prior to first serve.