The start of the Vandal volleyball season is upon us and it began with the Vandals hosting an invitational tournament at the Memorial Gym. After a painful ending to last season, which ended 1-26 on a 20-match losing streak, the Vandals looked poised to turn a new leaf in the program’s history. This was the second year of Romana Redondo Krišková’s tenure as head coach and the first year without the “interim” tag. The team also has six new players — five freshmen and one transfer.
This includes Kiana Greer, a three-time Pioneer League MVP who racked up 492 kills in her senior year; Csenge Krakoczki, a setter from Hungary; and Gabi Smith, who hit a roster-high percentage of 45% in her senior year. These new additions have raised questions among Vandal fans about the team’s performance this year.
The season started against the Oral Roberts University’s Golden Eagles, visiting from Oklahoma, who finished last season with a record of 4-25. The match started with the Golden Eagles serving.
The first point went to the Vandals with a kill from Greer, assisted by Krakoczki, both freshmen. The first set started off tight and, after two service aces and a kill from ORU the Golden Eagles led 7-4 over the Vandals. This would be ORU’s biggest lead of the set; however, the Vandals strung together a phenomenal 10-1 run against ORU, with junior Cayton White getting three kills to get the Vandals up 14-8. The run was aided by Krakoczki, who received four assists.
ORU pulled back four points, closing the gap before a Vandal timeout was issued with Idaho leading 14-12. The first set continued, after four attack errors from ORU in a row, the Vandals led 20-14. The Golden Eagles tightened the setup again, yet after three kills from Greer in the final stretch, the Vandals took the first set, 25-20.
The second set started with the Vandals springing to a 4-0 lead, although the Golden Eagles responded with their own four-point run to tie it up 4-4. It seemed that every time the Vandals would go on a run, ORU would respond. The Golden Eagles then took control, leading 10-7 before Idaho was able to pull it back to an 11-all tie.
After spending a couple of points trading the lead, the Vandals went on to take a 19-16 lead. ORU responded again, going on a 4-1 run to make it 20-all. The Vandals were eventually able to establish set point at 24-22 after an ORU service error.
ORU was able to hold off the first set point, but the Vandals capitalized on the second set point with a kill from Chiara Gennari, assisted by Krakoczki. The second set had a phenomenal showcase from Krakoczki, grabbing 14 assists throughout the set. Greer also extended her kill total to nine in the second set.
The third set was very similar to the second, as both teams started the set trading points, going to a 6-6 tie before the Vandals jumped to a 10-7 lead. The Vandals maintained their lead before ORU got four consecutive points, giving them a 15-14 set lead.
The Vandals were able to respond with a 6-2 run, taking the lead 20-17 in the set. The Golden Eagles answered this run with their own as they established set point up 24-23, looking to force a fourth set. The Vandals were up to the challenge as they scored three consecutive points, capped off with a service ace from Greer to complete the match sweep.
This was Idaho’s first win in volleyball since Sept. 13 of last year, when they defeated Siena College 3-1. The star of the match was Greer, making her freshman debut with a double-double, earning 11 kills and 14 digs.
White also had a good showing, being only one kill shy of a double-double, with nine kills and 11 digs in the season opener.
The tournament continued later Friday night with a meeting versus the California State University, Fullerton, Titans. The Titans finished last season 4-24, going winless in the Big West Conference, and were coming off a 3-0 loss to the Portland Pilots earlier in the day.
The match started and it was a close first set. The Titans were able to create some space on the scoreboard, leading 16-13 before being forced into three attack errors to give the Vandals a 17-16 lead.
The Vandals kept things close before trailing 22-21 in the set but were able to overcome it with four consecutive points, two of which came from White’s kills, to win the first set 25-22.
The Titans came out in the second set strong, starting with a 6-2 lead aided by three Idaho errors. The Vandals answered back with their own 5-0 run to take a 7-6 lead in the set. This lead was short-lived as Fullerton went on a monumental 12-5 run.
Fullerton did not look back for the rest of the set and, despite a late 4-1 rally from Idaho, Fullerton won the second set 25-17 to tie the match 1-all.
In the third set, the tables turned as the Vandals got off to a strong start with a 5-1 lead. Despite the Titans clawing back to a 6-4 deficit, the Vandals took command and went on a dominant 9-2 run, taking the lead to 15-6 for the set.
The Vandals carried their momentum through the rest of the set and won, 25-19.
The star of the set was Greer, showcasing her skills with six kills and an ace to lift the Vandals in the third set.
Idaho came out firing on all cylinders in the fourth set, taking a 6-0 lead to start the set. This included three aces and a kill from Greer. After a Fullerton timeout, the Vandals struggled to attack, creating four attacking errors during a Fullerton 7-1 run, which tied the set 7-7, erasing Idaho’s lead.
Fullerton continued this dominant run into a 16-10 lead. Idaho closed the gap, making it a 19-18 Fullerton lead. The attacking struggles continued for Idaho nonetheless, as the final six Fullerton points in the fourth set came from attacking errors, winning the set 25-19 to force a deciding fifth set.
The fifth set started with a 3-0 Fullerton run, with two of the points coming from aces. Fullerton continued to build on this fiery start with an 8-4 lead before the teams flipped sides. This 8-4 Fullerton start was boosted by five Idaho attacking errors.
Fullerton continued this pace, winning the fifth and final set 15-8. The set ended with an Idaho attacking error, emblematic of the struggle the Vandals faced during the match, allowing 10 more errors than Fullerton.
Despite the loss, the opening day of the season has shown so much upside for the future of the program, with the Vandals securing their first opening match win in six years and already achieving five set wins, one shy of what they had accomplished last year.
With Greer starting off her freshman campaign with two double-doubles, Krakoczki leading the team with 49 assists and White hitting 26 kills and 25 digs through the first two games, this looks to be a new era of Vandal volleyball under Krišková.
Bart Jacquinet can be reached at [email protected].
Pam
Great reporting!