The Idaho Vandals volleyball team made it out to Bozeman, Montana, to play against the 12-12 Montana State Bobcats. Coming off a loss against rival Montana, the team was looking to get a win on the road. The Vandals had a good performance but fell against the Bobcats 3-0.
Idaho started the first set strong with a lead of 7-5, and then Montana State came back and went on a seven-point streak to take a commanding lead of 12-7. Montana State kept this lead throughout the set and won 25-18. While the score wasn’t too close, Idaho still had a hit percentage of 0.206. It was the Bobcats who had a 0.353 hit percentage, which was hard to stop defensively.
Set two was similar to the first set. Montana State had a demanding lead from the start with momentum from a few points in the beginning. Idaho struggled with nine errors and had a 0.03 hit percentage while Montana state had 14 kills and a 0.194 hit percentage. The set ended with the Bobcats winning 25-19.
In set three, the Bobcats had so much momentum that they capitalized on it and had a quick start with a lead of 5-2. Idaho came back and tied the game 8-8, trying to swing the set. The Bobcats then went on a 6-point run and kept their lead for the rest of the game. They had 16 kills with a 0.233 hit percentage, and closed the set 25-19, leading to a 3-0 win for Montana State.
While the game wasn’t the best performance for the Vandals, both freshman Kiana Greer and redshirt junior Cayton White had great performances with 11 kills each. Krakoczki led the offense well with 28 assists, setting up the hitters well. Idaho also out blocked Montana State 8-7, proving they have a high defensive stand.
The Vandals are now looking ahead to their final two games, as well as senior night. Their next game is on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at home against Sacramento State. The game will also be covered on ESPN+.
Timmon Friel can be reached at [email protected]