Denim Millward
Sports Editor
The halls of Reed Gym will be filled with the echoes of numerous bumps, sets and spikes as the Idaho State Bengals play host to seven other Big Sky rivals for the Big Sky Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament Nov. 20 through Nov. 22.
The Bengals earned the right to host the tournament Nov. 8, after a 3-0 sweep of the Sacramento State Hornets clinched the Big Sky Conference regular season championship for Idaho State, its first since 1990.
In addition to hosting the tournament, the Bengals hold the number one overall seed in the tournament.
North Dakota (13-3, 25-8) clinched the second seed.
Northern Colorado, which handed the Bengals their last loss all the way back on Oct. 10, are the third seed, while the Idaho Vandals are the fourth seed.
Northern Arizona, Portland State, Montana and Southern Utah earned seeds five through eight, respectively.
The Bengals (15-1, 21-8) ended the regular season on a tear, winning 18 of their final 19 games including their final 11 games in a row.
The eleven consecutive victories is the longest winning streak for ISU volleyball in 27 years, when the 1987 squad triumphed in 17 consecutive matches.
The Bengals closed out the season in the dominant fashion that has been so common this season, earning a 3-0 sweep (25-20, 25-16, 25-21) over Weber State Nov. 15 at Swenson Gym in Ogden, Utah. Redshirt junior outside hitter Tressa Lyman led ISU with nine kills, redshirt sophomore setter Hayley Farrer totaled 27 assists and redshirt senior libero Kylee Sessions had 10 digs.
“Overall, we are playing well,” Teichert told ISU Sports Information following the victory over Weber State. “You can’t put together a winning streak like that without playing well.”
Despite the dominance of the Bengals’ performances in the past month and a half, Teichert stressed the importance of his team continuing to work hard.
“I want them to keep improving, that’s for sure,” Teichert told ISU Sports Information.
The Bengals will begin the 2014 Big Sky Conference Championship with a matchup against the eighth-seeded Southern Utah Thunderbirds Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. In Reed Gym.
The game will be the last of four contests that day.
Number two seed North Dakota and seventh seed Montana will kick things off at 10:30 a.m., followed by number three seed Northern Colorado battling number six seed Portland State at 1 p.m.
Number four seed Idaho and five seed Northern Arizona will play each other at 5 p.m.
Respective winners of the first two matches will face off in semifinals Friday, Nov. 21 at 5 p.m., while the winner of the Idaho State/Southern Utah match up will vie for the right to play in the championship game against the winner of the Idaho/Northern Arizona contest at 7:30 on Nov. 21.
The winners of the two semifinal matches will square off on Saturday, November 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the tournament can be purchased by calling the ISU ticket office at 282-FANS or by visiting the ticket office at Holt Arena.
Tickets can also be purchased online at isu.edu/tickets or at Vickers Western Store in Pocatello.
Tickets for individual sessions are $10 for adults, $8 for youth and $3 for college students, with a student ID being required to get the special student rate.
An all-session pass is available for $25 for adults and $20 for youth and seniors.
