MOSCOW, Idaho – The Idaho volleyball team (3-11) starts a three-game home stretch this week when they host Eastern Washington on ICCU Court at Memorial Gym for UI Homecoming weekend.
Opening serve against the Eagles is set for 5 p.m. on Friday and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Chris Clayton on the call. Fans can show their ticket for Saturday's football game against Northern Colorado and get free admission to Friday's match.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Idaho vs. Eastern Washington // Sept. 30 at 5 p.m.
Watch:
ESPN+
Live Stats:
SIDEARM Live Stats
Tickets:
GoVandals.com
Theme: Most Vandalized Fan
LAST TIME OUT
Idaho will look to bounce back after a pair of conference losses last week against Sacramento State (3-1) and Montana (3-0). The Vandals got off to a hot start in their home opening match against the Hornets, taking the first set 25-18. A close 23-25 loss in the second followed before Sac State eventually won the final two sets (14-25, 21-25) to close out the match. Three Vandals led the charge offensively with
Olivia Gloeckner (12),
Allison Munday (11) and
Taryn Vrieling (10) all recording double digits in kills. It was again
Kate Doorn starting at setter for Idaho, as she posted 34 assists with zero errors. Defensively,
Travel Morris posted a game-high five blocks and libero
Aine Doty tied a personal best in digs with 16.
A road trip to Missoula followed as the Vandals fell in three sets to the Grizzlies, 21-25, 14-25, 16-25. It was another quick start by Idaho in the first set as UI held an 11-5 advantage but quickly saw its lead slip away after Montana went on a 5-0 run and 4-0 run to take back the lead and eventually earn the opening set victory.
Madison Wilson posted eight kills to lead the Vandal attack while Doorn recorded 18 assists. For the third consecutive match, Morris posted five blocks.
VANDAL TIDBITS
- The Vandals earned two Big Sky Conference Player of the Week awards during the same week for the first time since 2018, with freshman setter Kate Doorn earning offensive honors and freshman middle hitter Madison Wilson being recognized for Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 19.
- The 2022 season marks the 49th year of Idaho volleyball.
- Doorn has totaled 283 assists and is averaging the 10th most assists per set in the Big Sky with 6.74. She has tallied 25+ assists in five matches so far this season, including a personal-best 41 in a four-set win over Wyoming (Sept. 16).
- Outside hitter Taryn Vrieling has been a consistent performer for the Vandals in her first season at Idaho, leading the team in kills (109), kills per set (2.80) and points per set (3.23).
- Vrieling received All-Tournament team honors in her first collegiate invite at Youngstown State (8/26-27) after posting a combined 25 kills, six blocks and five digs.
- Freshman Olivia Gloeckner is starting to find her stride as of late, averaging 10.5 kills over her last four matches in comparison to 4.3 kills in the first 10 matches to start the season. She spearheads the Vandals at the service line with 14 aces, including six in the first week of Big Sky play versus Sac State and Montana.
- Madison Wilson leads the team on the defensive end with 44 total blocks, which ranks eighth best in the league. Her 10-block effort against Tarleton State (9/10) is tied for the second most stuffs in a single match by a conference player.
- Libero Aine Doty has tallied double-digit digs in 11 out of 14 matches in her true freshman season, including tying her season-best of 16 against Sac State in the Big Sky opener. She is averaging the eighth best mark for digs per set (3.50) in the conference.
- The Vandals are ranked fifth in the Big Sky in team blocks with 2.2 per set while sitting seventh in hitting percentage (.192)
- First-year head coach Chris Gonzalez guided the Vandals to a straight-set sweep over Morehead State on Sept. 16 at the UNIWYO Invite to earn his first win as an Idaho head coach. The victory preceded two additional wins, as Idaho went a perfect 3-0 and were crowned tournament champions at UNIWYO Invite.
- The Vandals were picked to finish ninth in the Big Sky Conference preseason poll.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON
- Eastern Washington is 5-9 overall and 0-2 in conference after wrapping up the first week of Big Sky play. The Eagles recorded a three-set loss to Montana State and went to five sets against Portland State in the opening week. Out of their five wins in preseason action, EWU tallied sweeps over Southern University and Southern Utah while also recording wins over South Dakota State (3-2), Arkansas State (3-1) and Texas A&M Commerce (3-2). They hold a 1-6 record on the road.
- Sage Brustad and Alyssa Radke lead the Eagle attack, ranking 1-2 in kills with 204 and 152, respectively. Brustad's 3.71 kills per set is third best in the Big Sky and her 27 aces is the most amongst conference players at the service line.
- Sadie Bacon holds the third highest attack percentage in the league, hitting an average of .329.
- The Eagles have been one of the best teams at the service line, ranking second in the conference with an average of 1.75 aces per set.
- Head-to-head, the Vandals hold a 54-34 all-time series record over the Eagles and have won seven out of the last 10 matches.
UP NEXT
The Vandals continue its home stretch with a pair of matchups at Memorial Gym next week, welcoming in-state rival Idaho State Thursday, Oct. 6 and Weber State on Saturday, Oct. 8.
Single game and season tickets can be purchased online at GoVandals.com/Tickets or by calling the box office at (208) 885-6466.
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