Utah State Defense Proves too Much for Bengals - IDAHO STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Idaho State Falls in straight sets as the Bengals were out-blocked as a team 10.5-to-2

Sept. 9, 2009

Logan, UT--Utah State's front row defensive effort led the Aggies in its straight set victory (25-13, 25-20, 25-18) over the Bengals at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Wednesday night as Idaho State was out-blocked 10.5-to-2 as a team. Utah State improved to 3-3 while the Bengals fell to 4-3 for the season. Redshirt senior Paige Palmer and senior Emily Waldron each posted double figures in digs.

Palmer led the team with 16 digs while Waldron posted 12 for the match. The outside hitter led the Bengals in kills with eight, posting six in the second set alone. Idaho State's offense struggled against the Aggies as they posted a .113 attack percentage for the match.

In the first set the Bengals struggled to get a rhythm in the first set falling behind by 13 points when USU took a 21-8 lead. ISU could not recover and would be overtaken 25-13. In the first set alone Utah State posted 4.5 blocks putting up three-player walls on the outside. The Bengals could not find an opening and though the Aggies would post four service aces, USU would make up for it on the attack recording 16 kills with a .516 hitting percentage.

Liz McArthur would lead the Aggies with 14 kills and would be the only player in the match to post a double-figure. McArthur had seven kills in the first set alone. Three Aggies posted double-figures in digs with Laurel Bodily, Emily Kortsen and Christine Morrill each recording 11 digs.

Idaho State would begin to settle on the court, late in the second set, to post a 13-12 lead. With the Bengals on the trail USU would rush its offense causing errors. Senior Emily Waldron would find the seams recording six kills in the second alone, but the Aggies would pull away to take the second set 25-20. The Bengals together posted a .214 attack percentage

The Bengals held Utah State to its lowest attack percentage in the third set with .133 allowing just ten kills. Freshman Breanne Van Every and senior Kolay Mickelsen were brought to the front for added pressure on the block. Emily Beardmore made an appearance in the third set to help pull the Bengals from a ten-point deficit at 19-9 to within four points before USU would pull away capturing the set 25-18.

Karissa Legaux would post 25 assists. Britta Bartschi-Rhodehouse, who leads the Big Sky Conference in service aces per set, would continue her solid service recording the only three for the Bengals and posting a match-high.

Idaho State will continue on the road as they head to Orem, Utah for the Wolverine Invitational. The Bengals will face-off against USC on Friday, September 11 at 1 p.m. MT and tournament host Utah Valley on Saturday, September 12 at 7 p.m. MT.