MOSCOW, Idaho – The Vandals swept UC Riverside, 25-17, 25-18, 25-20, on Sunday afternoon in the final match of the Vandal Volleyball Invitational. Idaho (1-2) posted a season-high .352 hitting percentage and held the Highlanders to hit just .157.

Freshman Aubrey Nielson delivered her best game as a Vandal in the victory, leading with 10 kills and a .625 clip. Natalia Wielgus and Lacy Cox split time at setter, as the pair reached double digit assists with 15 and 13, respectively. Wielgus also stood out at the service line, tallying three of the Vandals seven aces. Aine Doty led the Vandals on the defensive side with a team-high 13 digs.   

The Vandals got off to a strong start to begin play, as they gained a 6-2 advantage after a strong defensive effort to force four attack errors. UC Riverside would tie the score at 12-12 but Idaho would use a pair of 3-0 runs to up their advantage to 21-15. From there, the Vandals scored four of the next six points, including a perfectly placed serve by Rana Kamis to secure a 25-17 victory. Idaho took care of business on the defensive end in the opening set, posting three blocks and holding the Highlander attack to a .056 hitting percentage. 

Each team traded the first eight points to open set two, with the score tied 4-4. Idaho used three kills and an attack error to score the next four points to find breathing room and lead 8-4. The Highlanders pulled within two (8-6), but that's the closest they would come as Idaho scored 13 of the next 19 points to build its largest lead (21-12) and ultimately go up 2-0 in the match. After hitting .353 in the first set, the Vandals carried over their offensive success to set two by hitting .400 and posting 15 kills. 

The Highlanders used a fast start in the third frame to hold an early 10-7 advantage. Idaho quickly responded to even the score at 12-12 and from there, four lead changes and three ties transpired to bring the scoreboard back tied at 16-16. The Vandals surged to end the set using a 3-0 run and 4-0 run to score nine of the final 13 points to complete the sweep over the Highlanders. 

Following the match, middle blocker Renata Lopez Morales and Doty were named to the Vandal Volleyball Invitational All-Tournament Team for their contributions in the last three matches. Lopez Morales put together an all-around effort on both offense and defense, posting a .389 hitting percentage, 16 kills, 12 digs, six blocks and three aces. Doty posted 43 digs over the weekend.  

The Vandals head north to Spokane to continue non-conference play at the Gonzaga Tournament next weekend (Sept. 1-2). Idaho will compete in three matches against UC San Diego, Gonzaga and Air Force. 

Leaders vs. UC Riverside
Kills: Aubrey Nielson – 10
Assists: Natalia Wielgus – 15
Digs: Aine Doty - 13
Blocks: Zuzanna Wieczorek & Renata Lopez Morales – 2

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