One of the goals for the Idaho State volleyball team in this weekend’s home tournament was to sort through the various lineup possibilities its roster could present moving forward this season.
With their four-set win over CSUN on Sunday, the Bengals may have hit on a winning combination.
“We played multiple lineups and 6-2 seemed to be our best,” said ISU head coach Sean Carter after the Bengals wrapped up a 2-1 weekend in their tournament at Reed Gym with a 25-17, 27-29, 25-22, 25-19 win over CSUN Sunday. “Our freshman Tana Howard did a great job coming in and attacking and setting. Unfortunately, she got injured against CSUN, so other players stepped up and answered the call.”
Carter said the Matadors were an extremely aggressive offensive team with two great outside hitters, but the Bengals responded well to CSUN’s attack.
“Our blocking was as good as I have ever seen with 25 stuff blocks in four sets,” said Carter.
The victory on Sunday was ISU’s second straight, after it knocked off Seattle U, 21-25, 25-13, 25-18 and 25-16 on Saturday. The Bengals fell to San Diego State in the tournament opener Friday night, 22-25, 23-25, 18-25.
“Jamie (Streit) and Sadie (Bluth) carried us most of the weekend offensively,” said Carter of the Bengals’ two senior leaders. “Meline Robarge was also great and Marci Bell was so good as a blocker.”
Robarge is a 5-foot-11-inch junior from Spanish Fork, Utah, and Bell a 5-9 sophomore from Henefer, Utah.
In the win over CSUN Sunday, Streit, the senior from Pinedale, Wyoming, had 13 kills and 16 digs to lead the Bengals. Robarge added eight kills and 10 blocks, sophomore Jaydin Watts eight kills and nine blocks, Aliyah Sopo’aga 22 assists, and Howard, the freshman from Gilbert, Arizona, 16 assists.
In the win over Seattle U on Saturday, Streit had 17 kills and two aces. Bluth chipped in with 11 kills, Bell eight blocks, Howard six blocks and 18 assists, Aliyah Sopo’aga 14 assists and six digs, and Asiah Sopo’aga 10 digs.
The Bengals wound up tying San Diego State at 2-1 in the tournament. Although the Aztecs won the head-to-head matchup. CSUN finished 1-2, with a win over San Diego State, and Seattle dropped all three contests.
“Bengals are getting better,” said Carter.
Idaho State will now travel to Irvine, California for the UCI/Adidas Invitational. The Bengals will begin the three-day tournament Thursday against the University of Portland. They’ll then play UC Irvine Friday and Bradley Saturday.
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