Lady Yotes Survive Southern, Advance in CCC Tournament
CALDWELL, Idaho – College of Idaho ran their win streak to 11 Cascade Conference Tournament matches in a row, as the Lady Yotes outlasted Southern Oregon 25-21, 20-25, 25-15, 25-13 in a quarterfinal match-up, presented by U.S. Bank, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Freshman
Ashley Pagan had 15 kills and the Lady Yotes (20-9) used an 11-3 edge in total blocks to move on to Friday's semifinals in La Grande, Ore., against No. 7 ranked Eastern Oregon, at 7 p.m. (PST)
Pagan and
Randi Sturtz were integral in Set 1, each recording two kills in a 6-2 run midway through the period to give the Lady Yotes a 20-14 lead. The Raiders (14-14) clawed within 23-21 on a Taylor Ristvedt kill, but a
Brenna Meehan spike and an SOU error handed the hosts the opening frame.
Emma Gasman had three early kills in Set 2 for Southern, as the Raiders built a 7-2 lead – a margin they would not relinquish. The Yotes cut the gap to 20-17 on a combo-block from Meehan and
Jackie van Vliet, but SOU got a key side out on a Haleigh Wagman kill and finished off the period to even the match.
The tide turned in Set 3, as C of I used an 8-1 surge – including two kills and three blocks from van Vliet to lead 11-5, extending the margin to 21-10 on a Pagan kill, as the Coyotes took command. Set 4 was all Coyotes, as Sturtz had four kills in an opening 13-5 run, as C of I hit a match-high .341 percent in the set to close out the victory.
Sturtz had 14 kills, with
Alaina Slater adding 11 kills and three blocks. Meehan had eight kills and 17 digs; van Vliet had eight kills and eight blocks;
Jayde Folsom had 32 assists; with
Cheyan Coburn recording a team-high 27 digs.
Gasman led all players with 16 kills for SOU, with Courtney Macklin recording nine kills. Lauren McGowne had 41 assists, with libero Ashlyn Flynn logging a match-high 28 digs.