MISSOULA, Mont— A balanced offensive attack helped the Vandals (12-8, 6-2) to a sweep of Montana (25-18, 25-23, 25-20) Saturday afternoon at the West Auxiliary Gym.
 
"From start to finish, we played really relaxed volleyball," said Idaho head coach Debbie Buchanan. We were in a really good rhythm all night. We didn't get too worked up and played steady. We came out the first set and only had five errors, which kind of sets the tone for the match. While we had a few [errors] in set two and three, we were still able to push through to finish in three. I'm really proud of our girls."
 
First Set Summary
Idaho jumped out to an early 10-5 lead forcing a Montana (8-12, 5-3) timeout. The Grizzlies would score two points out of the timeout, but the Vandals answered back extending the lead 11-7 following a kill by Kaela Straw. Never trailing, Idaho cruised past the Grizzlies to take set one, 25-18.
 
Second Set Summary
The score was tied 10-10 in the second following a block by both Nikki Ball and Straw. A kill from Reece Carman and an ace from Alycia Wodke pushed the Vandals ahead12-10. Montana errors and a kill by Sarah Sharp pushed Montana to take a timeout as Idaho took a four-point lead, 17-13. However, the Grizzlies would not lie down easily. Idaho was one away from set point, but Montana rallied back coming with a point, 24-23, before the Vandals won the set 25-23.
 
Third Set Summary
In the third set, the Grizzlies kept it competitive, lingering until tying the match up at 9-9 on an ace. After a couple more tied scores, the Vandals pulled ahead taking a 20-16 lead on a kill by DeVonne Ryter. Despite Montana's excellent effort in battling back, Idaho won the third set, 25-20.
 
Vandal Notables
Reece Carman had a standout match leading the Vandals with 15 kills on 25 attempts and a .520 clip. Sarah Sharp followed with 12 kills on 28 and a .393 clip. Haylee Mathis tallied 38 assists, and Alycia Wodke had 15 digs on the afternoon. Kaela Straw contributed three blocks and nine kills and DeVonne Ryter put up five kills while Nikki Ball notched five in the win.
 
Up Next
The Vandals return to Memorial Gym to face Eastern Washington University on Tuesday, October 16, at 7 p.m.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho volleyball by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @IdahoVolleyball.
 
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.