Press Release courtesy of Idaho Athletics.
Idaho (7-6, 2-0) will be back out on the road, following its quick homestand to open Big Sky play last week. The Vandals enjoyed two sweeps over Montana State and Montana. Junior Alycia Wodke was named the Big Sky’s Defensive Player of the Week. She totaled 37 digs, including 26 against Montana to help Idaho to a pair of wins.
North Dakota (17-2, 2-0) has the most wins in the NCAA this season, having already played 19 matches. They have quality wins over Ole Miss, New Mexico State, UNLV and New Mexico this season. The Fighting Hawks opened Big Sky play with wins at Southern Utah and Northern Colorado. UND leads the conference with 17.0 digs/set (31st NCAA). Faith Dooley is third in the NCAA with 90 total blocks.
UNC (8-7, 1-1) split its opening week of conference play. The Bears scored a 3-2 win at North Dakota to open the week. Theyfollowed up with a loss at UND. UNC is third in the Big Sky with 682 total kills. Taylor Els is fourth in the conference with 20 total aces.
Quotable: “We have had those consistent moments on the road. Which is a really positive thing. I think it was great for the girls to have the environment at home. Just the energy along. To have their families, the energy, the crowd and the band–the band is amazing. It is such a special feeling.” -Head coach Debbie Buchanan.
Fast Facts
• Idaho is 2-0 in conference play for the first time since 2000
• Ranked 22nd in the NCAA with 11.12 blocks/set
• Ranked 36th in the NCAA with 1.63 aces/set
• Idaho has six sweeps on the season. The Vandals had six combined over the last two seasons.
• Idaho’s non-conference schedule ranked 30th in strength of schedule opponents having a .610 win percent
• 1-0 in 5-set matches this season. Played eight 5-set matches in 2016, the most since 2012 (10)
TOP GUNS: Idaho is second the Big Sky in hitting percentage with a .240 mark (70th NCAA)
NETMINDERS: The Vandals are second in the conference (22nd NCAA) with 2.77 blocks per set after finishing 2016 ranked 10th (1.85)
SWEEP: Idaho has its most 3-0 wins in a season (6) since nine in 2014
ACES: Idaho’s 11 aces at against Fordham are the third most in the Big Sky this season and most in a 3-set match
ABOUT North Dakota: The Fighting Hawks won the Big Sky last season, earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They have played a lot of volleyball this season, holding a 17-2 overall record. UND holds a 15-match home win streak and have won 26 straight sets at home. Faith Dooley is the reigning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week. She is second in the Big Sky with a .395 hitting percentage. All-Time Series: UND, 7-1; Last Meeting: UND, W, 3-0
ABOUT Northern Colorado: The Bears have been good defensively this season, ranking second in the conference with opponents hitting .176 against them. UNC was picked to finish second in the preseason coaches poll, behind North Dakota. Kortney Lockey leads the Bears with 2.94 kills per set. Ryleigh Haynes is handing out 7.88 assists per set, good for ninth in the Big Sky. All-Time Series: UNC 5-2; Last Meeting: UNC, W, 3-1
FOLLOW: Links to the live stats can be found in the links above. All Big Sky matches are streamed online or on Pluto TV. Fans can also follow along live on Twitter, @IdahoVolleyball.
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