MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho volleyball (10-10, 6-2 BSC) kept up the strong play on Friday night, defeating Southern Utah (11-9, 4-4 BSC) in four sets to earn its second win in as many nights.  The Vandals now sit alone in second in the Big Sky standings, trailing only Northern Colorado, as the midway point of conference play approaches.
 
Paige Rupiper had a monster night.  The senior finished with a career-high 18 kills while hitting .333 for the night.  Avery Housley and Kennedy Warren both finished with 10 kills.


 
Idaho built a lead early in the first but Southern Utah bounced back to tie things up midway through the set.  After the score went back-and-forth for a string of plays, putting SUU up 14-13, Idaho went on a quick 9-2 run to reclaim the lead.  The Vandals never looked back, and won the set 25-20.
 
The Thunderbirds dominated most of the second set.  They built their lead consistently throughout, and got up by as many as nine points at 24-15.  The Vandals didn't give up, however, and went on a 7-0 run to make things interesting, but it wasn't enough and Southern Utah took the set, 25-22, to even the match.
 
The third set was close early before Idaho took the lead for good at 5-4.  The Vandals would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the way and won the set, 25-19.
 
The Vandals jumped out to a lead in the fourth set before the T-Birds were able to tie it up at seven apiece.  Idaho then got things rolling again and was able to get up by as many as seven, on four separate occasions, and took the set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1.
 
Next up is a quick trip down to Ogden to take on Weber State on Thursday night.
 
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