Jenna Larson
Idaho State University Sports
POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State volleyball team dropped its home opener 3-1 to visiting Utah Valley Monday evening at Reed Gym. The Wolverines topped the Bengals 26-24, 21-25, 25-22 and 25-20.
Idaho State (3-4) was led by junior outside hitter Abby Garrity with a match- and career-high 21 kills off 47 attempts with just six errors to hit .319. Garrity also posted 11 digs for her second double-double of the season. Senior outside hitter Chloe Hirst also reached double-figure kills with 12, while senior setter Makayla Lundin also posted a double-double with 40 assists and 10 digs.
“Hats off to Utah Valley,” Head Coach Rick Reynolds said. “I thought they played a really smart game, executed their game plan and it was effective. I did not feel that we did as good a job as we could have defensively to take care of the ball.”
Though Idaho State recorded 52 digs on the night, the third-best effort put forth by the Bengals this season, Utah Valley (4-4) was still able to finish 61 kills on the night, hitting at a .232 clip. The first set was nearly an even effort on both sides with 16 ties and three lead changes, but the set turned in favor of the Wolverines after an ISU hitting error broke a 24-all tie. UVU’s Madison Dennison put the set away with a kill to give Utah Valley the 26-24 set win.
In the second set, Idaho State began with five unanswered points fueled by two service aces from sophomore middle blocker Brooke Pehrson coupled with three UVU errors. Yet the Wolverines countered, and midway through the second set the score was tied 11-all. That was the first of six ties over the next 10 plays, but the Bengals started to pull away following a kill from Garrity and an ace from sophomore libero Haylie Keck. Utah Valley cut the Bengals’ lead to one, 22-21, but ISU finished on a 3-0 run to take the second set 25-21.
The third set was another battle with eight ties and four lead changes, but once again the set turned in favor of the Wolverines. With the set tied 13-all, UVU went on a 3-1 run to claim a three-point lead, 17-14. ISU countered with two-straight points behind two kills from Garrity, but that is the closest the Bengals would come. Utah Valley outscored ISU 8-6 to take the 25-22 third set win.
In the final set, the Bengals struggled to connect, finishing with 12 kills off 46 attempts with eight errors to hit .087. Utah Valley started the match with a 13-5 run, but Idaho State clawed its way back over the course of the set to cut UVU’s lead to two, 22-20. But an ISU error and two straight kills from UVU’s Kristen Allred gave the Wolverines the 25-20 fourth set win and 3-1 match win.
“Ultimately, UVU earned the victory,” Reynolds said. “They out-killed us, out-dug us and they just took better care of the ball. I felt like we didn’t put the ball away enough.”
Utah Valley finished with three players in double-figure kills, led by Lexi Thompson with 19. Three players also finished in double-figure digs, led by Seren Merrill with 18.
Idaho State is back in action Friday, Sept. 8 against No. 16 Michigan in its first match of the Colorado State Tournament, hosted by Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo.
