Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. – Knocking off a nationally-ranked team for the first time since joining the NAIA four years ago, the Multnomah University Lions stunned the eighth-ranked College of Idaho Coyotes 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 15-10) in a Cascade Collegiate Conference volleyball thriller Friday night here at Lytle Gym.
Playing before a small but raucous crowd during their fall break, the Lions snapped a nine-game losing streak in conference play and earned their first win over the College of Idaho in any sport.
The opening set did not portend any upset as the 'Yotes hit a red-hot .368 with nine kills and only two errors, trailed only once at 0-1, and led by as many as eight points, the last at 22-14.
The second set saw eight ties in the first half before the 'Yotes broke a 14-14 tie on a block by Jackie van Vliet and moved out to a 21-17 lead.
Patty Batoon started the Lions' comeback with a kill and ended a 6-0 run with another winner that gave the home team a 23-21 lead. Mali Sawyer's kill ended the run and brought C of I within one, but Batoon made it 24-22 Lions with another kill, and the teams then traded attack errors as Multnomah evened the match at a set apiece.
The 'Yotes appeared ready to assert themselves as they jumped out to 6-1 lead in the third set, but the upstart Lions were not to be denied. Down 11-6,
Madison Schuh sparked a 6-0 run with a kill and two combo blocks with
Madysen Trout to give the Lions a 12-11 lead, and they never trailed again. Ahead only 23-22 near the end, the Lions finished off the set with a kill by
Maile Kam and a 'Yotes attack error.
Multnomah opened the fourth set with a 4-0 run featuring two blocks by Trout, one with Batoon and one with Kam, and stayed in front for most of the set, though they never could shake the 'Yotes. A kill by Batoon made it 20-16 and the Lions looked ready to end the match in four, but Ashley Pagan have five kills in an 8-2 run that gave C of I a 24-22 lead. An attack error by the 'Yotes gave the Lions a chance, but a service error by the hosts sent the match into a deciding fifth set, the first time this season the Lions had played a five-setter.
Undeterred by playing a ranked team,
Marissa Rhodes served two aces to give the Lions a quick lead in the final set. The 'Yotes battled back to tie it 5-5 on a block by van Vliet, but a kill by
Sydney Amundsen put the Lions ahead for good. Two Batoon kills and an attack error extended the Multnomah lead to 13-8, and kills by Batoon and Kam nailed down the final two points of perhaps the biggest upset in the CCC this fall.
--- By the Numbers: Batoon led the Lions with 12 kills and
Miranda Halverson added 10. Amundsen had nine kills while hitting .389. Rhodes handed out 25 assists and served three aces, while
Kayla Keane had 19 assists.
Sabrina DeJesus-Bair made 25 digs, and Trout was in on 10 of the Lions' 12 blocks, including one solo stuff, to establish a Lions' record. Schuh had five blocks, with one solo.
Four Coyotes reached double figures in kills: van Vliet with 13, Alaina Slater with 12, Sawyer with 11, and Chloe Lampman with 10. Marija Djonovic, the CCC leader in assists, had 50. On defense, Kilee Lopez made 31 digs, Josie Whitehead 11, and Pagan 10. Van Vliet had nine blocks out of C of I's 11, including three solo blocks.
Multnomah is now 6-15 on the season and 2-11 in the conference. The College of Idaho slipped to 17-4 overall and 9-4 in the CCC.
--- Quoting Coach Jenna Bouey: "It was a great team win. It was everyone's best effort and best play. They played with heart tonight, and it showed. We are so proud of this team."
--- Next: Multnomah welcomes another ranked team, No. 14 Eastern Oregon University, to Lytle Gym Saturday for a 5:00 p.m. CCC match … The College of visits Warner Pacific College Saturday at 5:00 p.m. in another conference game.
