Naomi Reimer recorded a triple-double in Lady Yotes Pool Play win over Doane
SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Naomi Reimer recorded her third triple-double of the season, helping The College of Idaho rally from a one-set deficit to knock off Doane College 23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-16 on the first day at the NAIA Volleyball National Championships inside the Tyson Events Center.
The junior recorded a match-high 14 kills, added 20 assists, and logged 13 digs in helping the Coyotes (25-2) join Azusa Pacific atop the Pool E standings after the opening day – after the Cougars defeated Lewis-Clark State in four sets.
It wasn’t easy for the eighth-seeded Yotes, as the Tigers (29-8), ranked No. 18 in the final NAIA poll and runners-up from the Great Plains Athletic Conference, bolted out to an 11-5 lead in the opening set, thanks to a pair of aces from Emily Schwisow. The C of I would close the margin to one on four different occasions, the last at 24-23 on a Ciciley Fox spike, but a kill by Cassie Reicks gave the bunch from Crete, Neb., the frame.
Set 2 saw Doane jump out to a 4-1 lead, but the Coyotes fought back, as a combo-block from Marcella Hernandez and Reimer gave The C of I a 5-4 lead. Six ties would ensue before a Kristin Henning kill gave the Yotes the lead for good at 12-11, a margin that would stretch to 20-14 on a tandem-block from Hernandez and Kathryn Ely – as the Coyotes cruised to tie the match.
The Tigers sprinted to another early 5-1 edge in Set 3, but the Yotes drew even on a service error at 8-8, then closed the set on a 7-1 run to take command of the match.
The finale was all Coyotes, using a seven-point push, keyed by a pair of Fox kills midway through the period, to build a 17-7 lead – securing their first win at Nationals since the 2006 season.
Jessie Link had 12 kills and six blocks, with Fox adding 11 kills for the Coyotes. Ely and Henning each had eight kills and four blocks, with Hernandez leading all players with ten block assists. Madie Machurek had 22 assists and 18 digs, with Whitney Owen recording a match-high 24 digs.
The Tigers were forced into 25 hitting errors by the Coyote defense, with no players reaching double-digit kills. Ivie Speer notched eight kills, with Jessy Livers and Susan Rollman each adding seven. Heather Davison led Doane with 18 assists and 19 digs.
The Coyotes return to the court tomorrow afternoon at 5:45 p.m. (CST), meeting rival Lewis-Clark State. The two Idaho schools met in Lewiston in August, with The C of I claiming a five-set victory.