The Idaho Vandal volleyball team had a week to prepare for this weekend in anticipation of three away games. Last week, the Vandals lost in a close three sets to North Dakota and needed some fuel for their games against Indiana State and Tennessee State this Friday, Sept. 19. The Tiger Invitational is the Vandals’ last stretch of away games before finally returning for the first home conference game against Montana.
Indiana State Sycamores
In the opening game, the Vandals took on the Indiana State Sycamores, looking to get back in the win column. In the opening set, the Vandals started out strong and immediately came out swinging with high pressure. A total of 11 kills and a 0.200 hitting percentage kept them in the lead the entire set. Even though the Sycamores had a 0.250 hitting percentage and 15 kills, the Vandals didn’t let that stop them. The final score came out to 25-22 in favor of Idaho.
In the second set, with the momentum that the Idaho Vandals had, the Sycamores had to respond, and they did. Even with the Vandals’ 0.265 hitting percentage, the Sycamores had rallied back with 13 kills and only four errors, compared to the Vandals who had eight errors and eight kills. This led to a 25-15 set win by Indiana State.
The third set was a really close fight between the teams, with both the Vandals and Sycamores having a high number of kills and hitting percentages. The Vandals had a 0.237 hitting percent, and the Sycamores with a high 0.441 hitting percent. Throughout the set, the tension was high, but in the end, Idaho’s four errors hurt them in a battle with Indiana State losing 25-20.
Set four was a battle for the teams, with both having low hitting percentages and many more hitting attempts. Idaho had 16 kills and Indiana State with 12. The set was very close until the Sycamores closed it out with a 25-23 victory over the Vandals.
Standout players included Kiana Greer, who came off of a few great games last week. Greer gave the Sycamores a fight with 16 kills and a 0.250 hitting percentage. On top of that, Cayton White had an impressive 14 kills and 10 digs. Aleina Manaois had a great stat line with 24 assists, contributing to the team a lot.
Tennessee State
The Vandals closed Friday night with a matchup with the Tennessee State Tigers. After losing a close game against Indiana State earlier that day, the Vandals got a 3-2 victory over the Tigers and improve their record to 3-8.
In the first set, Idaho had a great hitting percentage with a 0.289 percent and 13 kills. The Vandals had a strong start with only two errors and overcame the Tigers to a 25-20 win, creating a lot of momentum.
In set two, Tennessee State rallied back and had 16 kills over the Vandals’ 12. The Tigers also had a 0.234 hitting percentage giving them the edge over Idaho’s 0.100 hitting percentage. The Vandals had seven errors, which hurt them at the end of the set as they lost to the Tigers 26-24.
Set three, the Vandals dominated on paper with 13 kills and only four errors, while also having a 0.265 hitting percentage, compared to Tennessee State’s 0.073 hitting percentage. The Tigers did not have an answer as the Idaho Vandals took control and won this set 25-18.
In set four, the game was headed for a close ending. The Vandals had the momentum, and the Tennessee State Tigers had to fight back. The set was comprised of a lot of offense with both teams having over 10 kills, and the Tigers raised the competition with a 0.282 hitting percentage. The Vandals were right behind, but the Tigers closed the set out with a 25-22 win, sending the game into the final set.
With the match hitting 2-2, both teams had high tension and the game was just 15 points away from a winner. The Idaho Vandals really came together for the fifth set and showed the Tigers they were there to win. Idaho had an astounding 0.333 hitting percentage with nine kills and two errors, pulling in the win and finishing the game off with a 15-11 set win.
The Vandals’ clean offense and strong conversion were what set them apart in this matchup. Greer absolutely crushed it with a high count of 21 kills and a 0.271 hitting percentage.
Greer consistently scored and contributed to each set coming in clutch. Cayton White as always did a great job with 15 kills and 12 digs. A couple of other players were also a huge help in the victory, including Gabi Smith with a 0.364 hitting percentage.
The Vandals have proved again they can win in great style, improving to 3-8 on the season. The Vandals have one more non-conference game to close out this tournament on Saturday, Sept. 20, against Chattanooga at 9 a.m.
Timmon Friel can be reached at [email protected].