Idaho was almost a first that it didn’t want to be.
File Photo by Tony Marcolina | Argonaut
Outside hitter Jessica Hastriter spikes the ball during the teams match against Seattle U. Nov. 8 at Memorial Gym. The Vandals took on Chicago State Thursday, winning 3-1 at Chicago, Ill. The team plays at Missouri-Kansas City on Saturday.
Chicago State, one of six new volleyball programs in the conference in 2013, had gone fourteen WAC matches without a win and will wake up on Friday still without a WAC win after Idaho took down the Cougars 3-1 Thursday evening.
There was still a scare for Idaho though. The Cougars took the first set 25-18 and led early in both the second and third sets. But Idaho was able to pull away late in each of the final sets, taking them 25-19, 25-20 and 25-16 in the final set to close out the win.
Idaho did it with a balanced attack and a superior hitting percentage. Five players ended with nine or more kills, with Jessica Hastriter leading the way with 13 kills for Idaho. Three players hit better than .500 with Taylor Wilkinson leading the way hitting .643. As a team Idaho outhit Chicago State .414 to .233.
“We came out really flat from a ball-control standpoint,” Idaho coach Debbie Buchanan said. “Every game after that we played better. It’s always a great win at someone else’s gym, but we have to get where we don’t come out that flat.”
The win moves Idaho to 10-5 in WAC play, now on a two-game winning streak after a two-game skid against New Mexico State and Cal State-Bakersfield. Idaho is battling for the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament with Bakersfield with two conference games left at Missouri-Kansas City and Grand Canyon. Idaho could finish as high as second depending on how Utah Valley finishes out its schedule.
Sophomore Meredith Coba once again facilitated the attack for Idaho with 45 assists.
Chicago State was the benefactor of five Idaho errors and of five of its own service aces in the first set, in which the Cougars jumped out to an early 5-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
It was Idaho being the benefactor of errors for the rest of the match, with Chicago State committing 29 on the night.
“We definitely eliminated our errors from the hitting side,” Buchanan said. “In game two we didn’t have a single error the whole game. From that aspect we were definitely doing some good things. At this point in the season you would hope you can come out and take control. We’re definitely better than we played in the first set, but we have to be able to come out and show that.”
The return of redshirt freshman Ali Forde was a welcome sight for the Vandals. The outside hitter missed the win against Seattle U when she was on the road with the basketball team. Forde will travel to Kansas City on Saturday with the team, though her role with the team as it heads to Phoenix for the conference tournament remains unclear.
Idaho will travel to Kansas City on Saturday and then to Phoenix on Nov. 21 to take on Grand Canyon, where the Vandals will stay in preparation of the conference tournament.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]