LEWISTON, Idaho — The Bulldog Women's Volleyball team continued in winning fashion today as they downed Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) in a thrilling four-set matchup (22-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-23).
"I am really proud of how we finished today. We started off a little timid, but turned it around in the second set when we started focusing on playing our game" Head Coach
Katie Lovett commented. "LC-State is a solid team and we really had to dig in and work for every point."
Though down after losing the first set, the Bulldogs rallied together and took three straight sets to claim victory. The Bulldogs also combined for a total of 61 kills, a feat they accomplished just twice last season.
"We came into the huddle and really focused on being disciplined and playing our game. We realized how much work we had to put in and to play to our strengths," redshirt senior
KayLee Kopp said. "When we were down in that second set, we all came together and found a fire within and just wanted to put everyone in the most successful position. We each did our job and did not try to do everyone else's job. When we play together and communicate, we play our best volleyball."
How It Happened
The match was a battle from the start, with no team taking more than a three-point lead for much of the first set. A kill from Kopp snapped a Warrior 6-1 scoring run and the Bulldogs fought to tie the game at 22. Despite the late rally, the Warriors answered by scoring three straight points to finish the set.
The second set seemed to be all Warriors, taking a 17-10 lead over the Bulldogs. Despite the grim outlook, a kill from
Kara Pospisil paired with a block by
Peyton Vogl and Pospisil lit a fire within. The Bulldogs continued to be a force at the net, recording another four blocks on their way to a comeback set victory.
The Bulldogs used the momentum from set two to help them jump out to a quick 9-5 lead early in the third frame. LC-State flipped the script and went on their own eight-point run. Down 13-9, a kill from Kopp got the Bulldogs back on track.
Kelsey Goddard continued to lead the Bulldogs back into the game after serving the Bulldogs to four straight points. A pair of kills from
Peyton Vogl put the Bulldogs back on top at 17-16. The two teams battled neck and neck until the Bulldogs claimed a narrow two-point victory.
UMW held the lead for a large part of the fourth frame; however, three straight Bulldog errors allowed the Warriors to tie the set at 11. A 7-2 scoring run pushed the Bulldogs back on top at 18-13. LC State answered, tying the game at 22. Though a service error gave the Warriors another point, Kopp and
Jordan Olson paired for three kills to put UMW on top for the final set victory.
Notables
- The Bulldogs put up some impressive numbers in today's matchup as four attackers hit double-digits in kills (Kopp, Olson, Vogl, and Jazi Smith) and had a team total of 61 kills with a hitting percentage of a .265.
- Kopp rang in a double-double, leading the Bulldogs with 16 kills and tallying 11 digs.
- Setters Kaylee Fritz and Taylor Peterson combined for 51 assists.
- At the net, Vogl led the team in blocks with six on the way to a team total of 21.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be traveling to Surprise, Ariz. next weekend where they will be playing in the OUAZ Invitational. Their first matchup is against Arizona Christian University at 3 p.m. on Aug. 24.
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