LA MIRADA, Calif. - Transfer Torrey Hulsey led a potent College of Idaho attack with 15 kills and six blocks, as the No. 10 ranked Lady Yotes opened the 2011 season with a 25-17, 25-20, 25-18 victory over William Jessup University this afternoon at the Holiday Inn Summer Slam.
Danielle Montalbo capped the day with a 15 kill performance in the nighcap, as the Coyotes (2-0) stopped Vanguard 22-25, 25-22, 25-15, 12-25, 25-21 victory.
Hulsey, who led the College of Southern Idaho to a national title and redshirted last year at West Virginia, came up huge in the opening set, recording three kills in a deciding 10-2 push to break a 15-15 tie. Trailing 14-12 in the second set, Hulsey added a pair of kills and two blocks - jumpstarting an 11-0 run to put the frame away. In the final set, Montalbo and Kylee Nawahine each had three kills in a 11-2 spurt that broke a 9-9 stalemate, as the Lady Yotes earned the win.
Nawahine had nine kills in the win for The C of I, with setter Kelsey Soos adding 29 assists and seven digs in her Coyote debut. Whitney Owen led all players with 15 digs and four aces.
Hannah Baldwin had nine kills and 10 digs in the loss for the Warriors (0-3).
The late match was a see-saw affair, as VU (2-3) grabbed an 18-12 lead in Set 1, before The C of I tied the match at 22-22 on a Nawahine and Liz Myers block. The Lions (2-3) were able to withstand the rally, as consecutive kills by Kristen Markowitz ended the set. Set 2 saw Montalbo hammer three kills in a decisive 7-2 run that erased a 20-18 Vanguard lead to tie the match at a set apiece. The Yotes rolled to a Set 3 win with four team blocks, while VU jumped out to a 15-4 lead in Set 4 to force a decisive final period.
Set 5 saw six ties - the last at 8-8, before kills by Hulsey and Montalbo helped the Yotes to four straight points, with a Myers/Nawahine block ending the match.
Nawahine had 11 kills and six blocks, Ciciley Fox notched 10 kills, Hulsey had nine kills and four blocks, with Myers adding five kills and six blocks in the win. Soos led the Yotes with 33 assists, and Owen recorded a match-high 21 digs.
Jamie Heenan led all players with 22 kills and 15 digs, Stevie Hurlbirt ahd 18 kills, and Alexandra Leja recorded 55 assists and 10 digs in the loss for the Lions.
The C of I returns to action tomorrow with matches against nationally-ranked foes Biola and Bellevue.