C of I Volleyball Season Comes to an End
SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- The College of Idaho volleyball saw its 2008 season come to a close with a tough 23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 16-25, 15-10 loss to No. 18 Indiana Tech in the final Pool Play match at the NAIA Volleyball National Tournament.
For the Lady Yotes (24-10), it marks the first time that they have not won a match at nationals in four tries.
The C of I battled with the Warriors (33-5) for nearly two hours, breaking a 22-22 tie in the opener on a Megan Spinks kill, scoring three of the last four points to take the frame. Set 2 saw ten ties, the last coming at 24-24 on a Sarah Buhler kill, but IIT got an Erika Stouder kill and a Melanie Forman ace to tie the match.
Set 3 was a killer for the Lady Yotes, using an 8-0 run - capped by a Jessie Link kill, to take a 19-14 edge. However, it was short-lived, as the Warriors scored the final seven points of the period, helped by three C of I errors, to take a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4 was all C of I, hitting a match-high .333 percentage to tie the match up - but fell behind 5-0 in the deciding set. The Yotes would storm back, taking advantage of four Warrior hitting errors to tie the score at 7-7, but an Ashley Jenkins kill gave IIT the lead for good.
Buhler led all players with 17 kills, with Kristin Henning adding 13 kills and five blocks, and Naomi Reimer recording her third triple-double of the season with 12 kills, 28 assists, and 12 digs, along with five aces. Hamilton led IIT with 14 kills - one of four Warrior players with double-figure kill totals.
The Lady Yotes, three-time defending Cascade Conference champs, return to the Treasure Valley on Saturday.