With senior night finished, the Vandals head on the road to solidify their seat in the Big Sky Tournament this week.
Last week’s victory against Eastern Washington University confirmed Idaho’s spot in the tournament and now they take on Southern Utah and Northern Arizona to improve on their three-way tie for fourth.
Weekly Recap:
Idaho played the Eastern Washington Eagles, winning 3-1 after losing the first set. The Vandals played a sloppy first set, but eventually got their offense rolling with junior outside hitter Avery Housley stepping up with 14 kills hitting at .342.
She was followed closely by sophomore outside hitter Kennedy Warren, who recorded 12 kills and three blocks during those four sets.
“We had a great team effort and came together to pull it out,” Housely said. “We had a rough week last week, just a little slump so we needed this win to build us up for this game Friday.”
Friday’s matchup was against the powerhouse of the Big Sky, the now regular season champions, the Northern Colorado Bears.
The Bears (15-1) have only one loss this regular season against Northern Arizona (11-5) who the Vandals face this coming week.
The Bears swept the Vandals on their senior night 0-3, but Idaho never gave up during the match. With every set coming down to the wire within three points, the Bears took the match, scoring only eight more points than Idaho.
Senior defensive specialist Delaney Hopen and senior outside hitter Paige Rupiper were recognized for everything they have done for this Vandal Volleyball program.
“UNC is a very good team, and they match up very well against us,” Hopen said. “It is a really competitive game every single time.”
These two seniors played their last games at home in Memorial Gym, but had to say their farewells before going on the road.
“It doesn’t really feel real yet, especially with all these people here it just feels like another home game,” Hopen said. “It’ll hit me, hard, because this is like my family, my second family and I have had some of my best memories here for sure.”
Southern Utah:
The Thunderbirds (6-10) sit in seventh place and do not have a spot in the Big Sky tournament. They are led by senior outside hitter Shannon Webb who has recorded just over 24% of the team’s season points. She has recorded a 22.4 hitting percentage and has a strong attack from the outside.
Idaho should have a statistical win against the Thunderbirds. Both front row and back row defense will have to step up to shut down Webb and prevent Southen Utah from running too many points away. If the Vandals get this win, it will help with their momentum as well as seating for the tournament.
Northern Arizona:
The Lumberjacks (11-5) have been gaining momentum late in this regular season. Idaho first faced them at home winning 3-1, but this team has since beat Northern Colorado and stepped up their game.
The Lumberjacks are currently on a four-game win streak, looking to extend to five games when they play Eastern Washington on Thursday.
Northern Arizona features the 6-foot-3-inch senior middle blocker Abby Akin, who has recorded 388 points this season and 131 blocks.
Idaho’s offense needs to be careful and find the holes around Akin and the Lumberjack defense to win on Saturday.
When/Where:
The Vandals take on the Thunderbirds 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Cedar City, Utah, they take on the Lumberjacks 10 a.m. Saturday in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Connor Swersey can be reached at [email protected]