Yotes Fall in Tight Battle with L-C State

8/18/2012 4:43:10 PM

Mike Safford

CALDWELL, Idaho - Taking advantage of 17 service errors, Lewis-Clark State outlasted The College of Idaho in Match 7 of the 2012 C of I Classic, 25-22, 22-25, 26-24, 25-23, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.

Box Score

The No. 8 ranked Warriors (2-1) withstood 32 hitting errors and a match that featured 47 ties and 18 lead changes throughout.

L-C jumped out to a quick 14-9 lead in the opening period, but a Jessica Peacock kill began a 4-0 run for the Coyotes (2-1) that knotted the set at 16-16. Tied at 20-20, a C of I service error, followed by a combo-block from Keisha Luebbert-Kenndy and Ali Hubert gave the Warriors the lead for good.

Set 2 was more of the same, as the visitors took advantage of a pair of aces off the net to grab a 15-9 lead. However, Peacock rallied the Yotes with three kills and a block in a 10-2 push that gave C of I the lead, squaring the match at a set apiece.

The third set featured 13 ties, the last at 24-24, but L-C earned a side-out on a Willow Markowitz kill, then winning the set on a kill by Brianne Brown. The finale was similar, with 17 ties and 11 lead changes – with neither team having a lead more than two. The C of I took their final lead at 21-20, but back-to-back Markowitz kills gave the Warriors the lead, and following four-straight side-outs, a C of I hitting error ended the match.

Markowitz and Luebbert-Kennedy each had 12 kills to lead the Warriors, with Brown adding 10 kills and nine digs. Setter Nevena Dragovic had 37 assists and 12 digs, with Chelsea Shears recording 16 digs.

Peacock led all players with 13 kills and five blocks, with Liz Myers adding eight kills and six blocks, Kylee Nawahine had eight kills and 10 digs, and Torrey Hulsey had eight kills. Sierra Porter had 25 assists to lead the Yotes, with Janel Porter recording 13 digs.

The Lady Yotes return to action next Thursday and Friday at the Holiday Inn Summer Slam, hosted by Biola University, in La Mirada, Calif.

OTHER MATCHES:

Match 6: Vanguard def. William Jessup, 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-17) – (Box Score) Ashli Bellinger had 10 kills and nine digs to lead the Lions to their second win at the tournament. VU had to rally from a 16-12 deficit in Set 2, closing the period on a 13-3 run to earn the sweep. Hannah Baldwin had 12 kills in the loss for the Warriors.

Match 8: Eastern Oregon def. William Jessup, 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-14) - (Box Score) Irene Walters and Stefani Sorensen each had seven kills as the Mountaineers finished the tournament with a 2-1 record. Sara Hickenbottom led the Warriors with seven kills, as WJU finished 0-4.

Match 9: Lewis-Clark State def. Vanguard, 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 12-25, 25-21, 17-15) - (Box Score) The Warriors rallied from two sets to one down to earn the victory in a match-up of Top-10 teams. VU had match point in the fifth set, but a service error gave L-C the side out they needed, with kills by Chelsea Strong and Ali Hubert giving the Warriors the win. Brianne Brown had 11 kills in the win for L-C, who finished 3-1, while Jessica Neves had a tournament-high 19 kills for the Lions, who finished 2-2.