Aug. 27, 2007
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After opening play with three road matches, Idaho State returns to Pocatello to open its home slate against Montana-Western on Tuesday night at Reed Gym. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m. The Bengals also travel to play Fresno State, Cal State Bakersfield, and UC Davis this week.
About the Bengals
Idaho State heads into the new week after going 0-3 last week at the Oregon Kick-Off Classic in Eugene. The Bengals dropped a 3-0 (7-30, 19-30, 13-30) decision to host Oregon before losing matches to Kansas 3-0 (20-30, 21-30, 25-30) and Cal State Bakersfield 3-0 (28-30, 27-30, 22-30). Sophomore outside hitter Emily Waldron led the Bengals through the three matches with 26 kills (2.89 per game). Freshman Charlee Kinghorn followed with 18 kills while Jessica Gurney helped with 12 last week. Christine Van Orden fronted the offense with 53 assists over the three matches, while Gurney led the defensive effort with eight blocks. As a team, Idaho State connected on 84 kills while hitting .106 last week.
Home Openers and Montana-Western
Tuesday's match against Montana-Western marks the ninth-straight season that Idaho State has opened its home slate against Montana-Western. The Bengals have won all eight contests with the Bulldogs, including a 3-0 decision last season. The Bengals won each of the eight matches with the Bulldogs and have only dropped two of the 26 games between the two teams. The last time Idaho State lost a home opener dates back to the 1997 season when ISU dropped a 3-1 decision to Utah State.
About Montana-Western
The Bulldogs head into Pocatello this week with a 0-4 record. Montana-Western opened the season with four matches in Billings, Montana, where the team dropped matches to South Dakota Mines (0-3), Minot State (2-3), (0-3), (0-3), Jamestown College, and Dickinson State. Sophomore outside hitter Brianna Ternes leads the team with 27 kills this season, while junior Lindsey Nicholls fronts the team defensively with 55 digs. As a team, the Bulldogs hold a .106 hitting mark. Montana-Western is an NAIA member of the Frontier Conference.
About Fresno State
Fresno State heads into the week with a 0-3 record to start the season. The team dropped three-straight at the Husky Classic in Seattle. The team dropped matches to Cal State Northridge (2-3), Washington (0-3), and San Francisco (0-3). Senior Angela Wiggins leads the team through three matches in kills with 23 (2.30 per game). Defensively, sophomore Lisa Gera fronts the squad with 44 digs. Fresno State is hitting .117 on the season. Fresno State is a member of the Western Athletic Conference.
About Cal State Bakersfield
The Roadrunners return six starters and nine letterwinners from a 2006 squad that finished with a 4-16 overall record. The team is coached by John Price, who is in his 11th season with the team. Price holds an all-time 192-86 overall record at CSUB. The Roadrunners are affiliated with the California Collegiate Athletic Conference. The team defeated Idaho State 3-0 last week at the Oregon Kick-Off Classic, marking the team's first win as a Division I team. The Roadrunners hold a 1-2 record this season after defeating ISU and falling to Kansas (1-3) and Oregon (0-3). The team is led by junior outside hitter Sarah Norman, who has 55 kills. Defensively, junior Mystie McNaughton fronts the team with 56 digs.
About UC Davis
UC Davis heads into the new week with a 0-3 record after dropping matches to Northern Arizona (2-3), New Mexico State (1-3), and Albany (0-3) in Flagstaff, Arizona. The team is led by Kayla Varney, who has a season-best 38 kills. Sophomore Arveeta Singh leads the defensive effort with 36 digs. As a team, the Aggies are hitting .156 on the season. UC Davis is a member of the Big West Conference.
Bengals Ranked Seventh in Big Sky Preseason Poll
The Idaho State volleyball team has been picked to finish seventh this season, according to the 2007 preseason coaches poll. Idaho State received 22 points to earn the seventh spot. The Bengals were followed by Northern Colorado, which received 19 points for the eighth position. Montana State was selected ninth with 17 points. The league's coaches selected Sacramento State as the favorite to win the Big Sky. The Hornets received eight first place votes for a total of 64 points. Portland State finished second in the voting with 53 points, while Montana earned the third spot with 48 points. Weber State was picked to finish fourth with 36 points. Eastern Washington edged out Northern Arizona by one point for fifth place, followed by Idaho State in seventh.
