SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - After avenging a first weekend loss to fourth-ranked Iowa Western, the College of Southern Idaho Volleyball team looked poised to also beat second-ranked Western Nebraska but the effort fell short as the Golden Eagles fell to the Cougars in five sets Friday.
CSI beat Iowa Western 27-25, 27-25, 25-18 then fell to Western Nebraska 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 17-25, 15-11.
The first two sets against Iowa Western were vastly different but ended the same. CSI jumped out to an 8-1 lead to open the match but slowly watched Iowa Western climb back in and tie is at 25 on a CSI service error. But kills by Shiloh Peleras and Ashelyn Jones closed out the first set. The Golden Eagles trailed by as much as 11-4 in set two before forging a comeback. CSI's first tie was at 23 apiece. A kill by Jones gave CSI its first lead but a Golden Eagle attack error knotted the game at 24-24. The teams exchanged points before a Jojo Kruize kill and an attack error by Iowa Western gave CSI the 2-0 set lead.
The Golden Eagles rolled in the third set to take the match.
Kruize led CSI with 17 kills. Esti Wilson added 13 digs.
Against Western Nebraska, whom CSI fell to in four sets last weekend, the Golden Eagles started slow committing too many hitting errors. CSI was down 18-9 and it looked like Western Nebraska would roll. But the Golden Eagles fought back to pull within 24-22. That would be as close as they would get. Still the momentum carried them into set two where they posted their highest kill percentage of the match at .279.
After falling to Western Nebraska in set three, CSI dominated the fourth set and looked to be om control.
The Cougars had other plans, jumping out to a 10-6 lead. The Golden Eagles slowly crept back into the set, tying it at 10 apiece on a Western Nebraska hitting error. Western Nebraska went up 11-10 and CSI would have tied it on an errant serve by the Cougars but the Golden Eagles played it shanking it into the stands. Western Nebraska added another ace and CSI gave the Cougars another point on a hitting error to give Western Nebraska the 14-10 lead. The Golden Eagles added one more point when the Cougars served match point out but that would be as close as CSI would get.
Only three CSI players ended the match in double-digit kills - Alycia Wodke (10), Jones (11) and Kruize (12). Wodke added a team-high 20 digs, while Jones had six blocks. Marija Djonovic finished the match with 41 assists.
The Golden Eagles, now 3-3, play Northwest College at 9 a.m. and Missouri State-West Plains at 1 p.m. Saturday.