NASHVILLE, Tenn. - In the final non-conference series of the season, Idaho Volleyball traveled to the Music City for the Tiger Invitational, hosted by Tennessee State and featuring in-state Chattanooga as well as Indiana State.
Idaho came into the weekend with a 2-8 record and following a weekend in North Dakota where the team had surging North Dakota State, currently one of the top teams in the Summit League, on its heels.
The Vandals opened the weekend vs. Indiana State on Friday morning, bringing energy from the opening rally and securing a 4-1 lead after the first five points, which included service aces from Kiana Greer and Cayton White. This pair, alongside junior Chiara Gennari, led Idaho to an opening-set win and an early lead. The Sycamores rebounded, however, clinching the second set and the momentum that came with it, taking #3 and #4 in close contests.
Kiana Greer and Cayton White led the way for the Vandals offensively with 16 and 14 kills, respectively. Freshmen Gabi Smith and Aleina Manaois each racked up a trio of service aces, and Smith put away three blocks alongside four kills of her own.
The brave and bold returned to action later that night in the second half of the doubleheader, taking on the host Tennessee State Tigers on their home court. Kiana Greer picked up where she left off with six kills in the first frame alone as Idaho started the evening 1-0 in sets. The Tigers were undeterred and weathered the offensive attack, edging the visitors in the second series. The Vandals rolled in the third set, claiming the 2-1 lead off a continuous onslaught from Greer and White, and nearly rebounded from two separate 8-point deficits to claim the fourth before moving on to the all-deciding fifth. Greer, White, and timely attacks from Csenge Krakoczki proved too much to handle as Idaho never trailed in the final minutes.
Greer and White were sensational offensively against TSU, as the former tallied a career-high 21 kills and the latter was just behind with a season-best 20, marking the first time since 2016 that two Vandals had at least 20 in the same match.
In the final match of the weekend, Idaho took on Chattanooga on Saturday morning. The Mocs came out swinging in the first two sets, putting the black and gold in an early 0-2 deficit in sets. However, the Vandals didn't back down, marching out to a 7-6 lead in the fourth frame and holding the advantage all the way through en route to a 25-19 finish.
The effort continued, as UI faced a 15-22 deficit in the fourth and climbed all the way back to make it a two point contest at 21-23 before two of the final three points went the way of the Mocs.
FINAL NOTES
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Gabi Smith is one of only two Idaho freshmen (Zuzanna Whitman) to record 3+ kills, total blocks, and service aces in a match since 2019.
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Kiana Greer and Cayton White are the first pair of Vandals to total 20+ kills each in the same contest.
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First five-set win for the program since 2021, when the Vandals defeated Southeastern Louisiana in non-conference play.
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After four weeks of non-conference matches, Cayton White leads the team in kills with 148. Kiana Greer is a close second with 141. Both of these marks are top-60 in the country. Gabi Smith has overtaken the team lead in blocks with 35.0, and Koen Makaula still holds 34.0.
UP NEXT
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