Lucas Gebhart
Sports Editor
Over the last two weeks, the Idaho State volleyball team has played three top-25 teams as a way to prepare for a run at a Big Sky title.
The last six opponents Idaho State has played have held records above .500 and three of those teams were ranked in the top-20. Oregon State is 9-2 on the year while Boise State is 7-4. Ball State, the only other non-ranked team the Bengals played over the last two weekends holds a 9-4 record. Colorado State, Michigan and Minnesota were all ranked in the top-25 when they took the floor against Idaho State.
“Playing any team that is ranked is a good experience for us,” said senior Chloe Hirst. “We have learned that we can push these teams.”
Last weekend, Idaho State fell to the nation’s top-ranked team in Minnesota, falling 3-0 in sets of 25-15, 25-14 and 25-11. Against Michigan, the Bengals were within three points in two different sets, falling 25-23, 25-13 and 25-22. The match was the closest Idaho State came to winning a set against its top-25 foes.
“You don’t stop those team,” said head coach Rick Reynolds. “You have to slow them down enough to give yourself an opportunity. I felt like we were doing that in those matches.”
Minnesota is a perfect 11-0 this season and received 40 of the 64 first place votes in last week’s coaches poll. The Golden Gophers have gone to a fifth set on one occasion this season, a 3-2 win against Boise State on the Broncos’ home floor.
“Playing these big teams, we are forced to block well, we are forced to dig well, we are forced to try new things and take risks,” said junior outside hitter Abby Garrity. “We have gotten better at that.”
The Oregon State match featured AVCA All-American Honorable mention and First Team All-Pac-12 selection, Mary-Kate Marshall. Marshall tied for a match-high 13 kills against the Bengals last Friday night. Last season, Marshall had 443 kills, 26 service aces, 260 digs and 64 blocks in 31 matches.
“You are not going to stop a Mary-Kate Marshall,” Reynolds said. “You have to hope to touch her enough to frustrate her to where you can at least get a couple points out of her swings.”
On paper, Idaho State’s record is not pretty. The Bengals have lost their last eight matches and hold a 3-9 record, but according to the players, improvement has been made off the paper including passing, team chemistry and confidence.
“Our record does not define who we are,” Garrity said. “Sometimes all that people see is the record and the wins and losses, but that’s not always the best way to define everybody.”
Reynolds said that the team is focused on winning Big Sky matches, but should the Bengals find itself in the NCAA tournament, the tough non-conference schedule was built to prepare the team for a potential first-round upset.
“I feel like the Big Sky goes into the NCAA tournament and we have been one-and-done,” Reynolds said. “I wanted to be prepared, if we made it, that we have seen teams that you would see in the first-round of the tournament.”
The players say that although these teams are nationally recognized, they don’t change anything they do to prepare for the match.
“It’s another game,” Hirst said. “It is great for us to face these teams. It’s another match and another chance to step on the court and get better as a team.”
After playing its last six matches as the underdog, the Bengals will enter conference play this Thursday with matches at Portland State and Sacramento State.
“Our conference is so tough from top to bottom,” Reynolds said. “It is not going to be an easy road to the Big Sky tournament but I think we are in a position to do some good stuff when we get into Big Sky play.”
The Bengals will return home next week with home matches against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.
