Ciciley Fox had 19 kills in the Yotes win
NAMPA, Idaho - Ciciley Fox and Jessie Link each had career-highs in kills, helping The College of Idaho to their 11th-straight victory, a hard-fought 25-19, 24-26, 25-23, 25-23 win at Northwest Nazarene, before 611 fans in the Johnson Sports Center.
The win for the No. 7 ranked Lady Yotes (11-1) was their sixth in a row against their Canyon County rivals - in the first meeting between the clubs since the 2006 season.
The opening set was a see-saw affair, as the Coyotes jumped out to a 7-1 lead, but the Division II Crusaders (10-7) used a 12-3 push to take a 13-10 lead. The C of I would fight back, scoring seven-consecutive points, including three Fox spikes to grab the lead for good.
Set 2 saw 16 ties, as the Lady Yotes held set-point at 24-23, however, NNU got a combo-block by Alaina Barber and Kailey Trautmann tied the score, with an Amy Higginson aces and a C of I hitting error tying the match at a set apiece.
The third set was a clinic in defense, as C of I libero Whitney Owen had 14 digs and NNU libero Haley Hevern had 12 in the period. The Coyotes took a 21-16 lead on a Courtney Combe ace, only to watch the hosts rally within 24-23 on a Becky Flores kill - but NNU could got complete the comback, as a double contact call on the Crusaders ended the frame.
The finale saw both teams hit well, combining for 37 kills with just seven errors. A Flores kill gave NNU a 22-21 lead late in teh set, but Fox added kills on three of the final four points of the match, giving The C of I the win.
Fox had 19 kills and 14 digs in the win, while Link added 17 kills and four blocks. Madie Machurek had a career-high 57 assists to go along with 21 digs, while Owen led all players with 31 digs.
Cammy Dranginis had 17 kills and five blocks, with Lindsey Grant adding 17 kills and 23 digs in the loss for NNU.
The Lady Yotes return to action on Friday night, hosting Northwest University at 7 p.m.