Only two matches remain on the regular season volleyball schedule and each is one more opportu- nity for Idaho volleyball to prove it is the best team the school has seen.
The Vandals will travel to Northern Arizona on Thursday, before returning home for senior night against Southern Utah Saturday.
Idaho has yet to face off against Northern Arizona this season, who is currently in second place in the Big Sky with a 13-3 conference record. The matchup on Thursday will be a de facto regular season championship game, with the winner holding the head-to-head tiebreaker in the likely event that both teams win their final matches and end with identical conference records.
The Lumberjacks join Idaho at the top of every statistical leaderboard, including a conference-best .166 opponent hitting percentage. They also lead the Big Sky in digs per set with 17.96. Statistic excellence has led to an eight-match winning streak, and Northern Arizona has lost only four sets and has swept five different opponents through their current run.
Northern Arizona is led by contributors all over the offense. Redshirt senior outside hitter Kaylie Jorgensen leads the team with 3.06 kills per set, while junior middle blocker Abby Akin paces the Lumberjacks with a .390 hitting percentage, good for third in the Big Sky. Despite playing up front as an outside hitter, Jorgensen also plays a key role in Northern Arizona’s defense with 4.13 digs per set, ninth-best in the conference. Akin is also a force anywhere on the floor, cracking the top 10 in the conference for service aces and blocks.
The Lumberjacks have almost mirrored Idaho’s home dominance, with their last loss in Flagstaff coming back on Sept. 20 against Idaho State. Both of the past two matches between the two teams went to five sets, with the Vandals winning in 2017 and Northern Arizona taking the victory in 2016. This should be one of the best matches of the year.
Idaho cheers after a won rally Thursday against University of Montana in Memorial Gym.
Idaho will recognize this year’s historic senior class prior to the matchup with Southern Utah on Saturday. For their final regular season match, the Vandals will face off against a Thunderbird team that has struggled this season to maintain success.
In spite of the team’s inability to string victories together, sophomore middle blocker Anna Hopkins has quickly made a name for herself. Hopkins averages a .314 hitting percentage and adds one block per set for Southern Utah, while another sophomore provides the offensive punch. Outside hitter Janet Kalaniuvalu leads the Big Sky as the only player with more than four kills per set, averaging 4.10.
The match against Southern Utah will be the final time Idaho’s senior class suits up in Memorial Gym. Outside hitters Sarah Sharp and Kaela Straw have strung together remarkable offensive seasons, with both in the top 10 for kills per set.
Middle blockers DeVonne Ryter and Reece Carman anchored the front line all season. Ryter lead the seniors in blocks and hitting percentage, while Carman caught fire late in the season and won Offensive Big Sky Player of the Week last week.
Setter Haylee Mathis surpassed 1,000 assists for the second season and 2,500 for her career while coordinating Idaho’s attack. Libero Alycia Wodke averaged more than five digs per set and helped develop the next wave for Idaho’s back line while maintaining the same level of success.
Idaho will travel to Northern Arizona to take on the Lumberjacks Thursday 6 p.m. before returning to Memorial Gym to play Southern Utah Saturday 8 p.m.
Jonah Baker can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jonahpbaker