The Vandals closed out the second half of a homestand, managing to put even more distance between themselves and the rest of the Big Sky.
Idaho’s only two conference losses came on a road trip to Pocatello and Ogden, but the home stretch proved to be much more successful for the Vandals.
To start things out, Idaho welcomed Idaho State to Memorial Gym Thursday and avenged an earlier loss. The Vandals swept the Bengals three sets to none, dominating throughout the match and in most statistical categories.
Both teams traded shots early in the first set before Idaho went on an 8-1 run to make the score 16-7. The Bengals stopped Idaho’s momentum momentarily before the Vandals went on another prolonged run to go up 24-9. Senior middle blocker DeVonne Ryter made sure things didn’t go too far, finishing the set with one of her eight kills in the match. She also led all players with a .727 hitting percentage.
The Bengals managed to hang around in the second set, keeping things close until a 4-1 Idaho run forced coach Rick Reynolds to call a timeout. The Vandals maintained the momentum after the break to go up 20-13 on a run punctuated by an ace from senior setter Haylee Mathis and a block by middle blockers Reece Carman and Nikki Ball. Idaho State never quite recovered and dropped the second set 25-18.
The same script followed in the final set. In spite of their ability to hang close, the Bengals never quite established a dominant lead over Idaho and the Vandals rode a late run to a 25-16 win to complete the sweep.
Senior outside hitter Sarah Sharp led all players with 14 kills on a .519 hitting percentage. Carman and Ball each exerted their will in the middle, with four blocks apiece. Mathis tallied 38 assists after coming into the match needing only 25 to reach the 2,500 milestone. The win evens up the season-long Battle of the ICCU Domes at two wins apiece for Idaho and Idaho State.
On Saturday, the Vandals got the opportunity to avenge their only other conference loss of the season against Weber State. The Wildcats came into the match on a two-match winning streak, in large part thanks to Hannah Hill-De Young, who led the Big Sky in hitting percentage and was second in blocks. The junior middle blocker came into Saturday’s match with a .442 hitting percentage on 260 attempts and averaged 1.23 blocks per set.
Weber State put up a valiant effort, but Idaho’s composure and leadership proved too much to overcome.
The Wildcats traded blows with the Vandals early in the first set, but two key runs pushed the momentum in Idaho’s favor. Sharp started a great night with five kills, including a thunderous strike to finish out the set.
The momentum of the match shifted in the second set, as Weber State erased a five-point Idaho lead with a 7-0 run. Senior outside hitter Andrea Hale set the tone for the set with her serves and offense, including three service aces over the course of the set. The teams traded points for the second half of the set, but a 4-0 run from Weber State finished out a 25-21 set win for the Wildcats.
The third set in a 1-1 match is often the turning point and that was definitely the case in Saturday’s match. Idaho maintained a small lead throughout the set, even reaching a 24-21 lead. The Wildcats battled all the way back to force extra points, but a pair of kills from Sharp ended Weber State’s hopes.
The fourth set featured more of the same momentum firmly in Idaho’s side of the gym. The Vandals once again built up a large lead and saw part of it melt away, but the team’s senior leadership ensured that Idaho avenged their only other conference loss.
Sharp and senior outside hitter Kaela Straw each finished with 14 kills in a remarkable team effort. Four different players recorded double-digit blocks, led by senior libero Alycia Wodke with 26. With the loss, Idaho maintains a 28-year home winning streak against the Wildcats, who have not won in Moscow since 1990.
Up next, the Vandals will travel to take on Portland State 7 p.m. Nov. 1 in Portland.
Jonah Baker can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jonahpbaker