The Northern Colorado volleyball team defeated Idaho State in four sets Thursday evening, earning a Big Sky Conference season split with the Bengals and maintaining a hold on first place in the conference standings.
UNC (11-2 Big Sky, 20-6 overall) beat ISU 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21 at Reed Gym in Pocatello. The Bengals handed UNC one of the Bears' regular-season conference losses to date with a 3-2 victory Sept. 28 in Greeley.
Sacramento State swept UNC in three sets Nov. 7, snapping the Bears' eight-match conference win streak that began in early October -- six days after the home loss to ISU.
UNC has its last two match and nine of 10 heading into its final regular-season Big Sky road match. The Bears meet second-place Weber State at 1 p.m. Saturday in Ogden, Utah. The Wildcats (10-3 Big, 13-11) have won six consecutive matches, which is currently the longest winning streak in the Big Sky.
Against Idaho State, setter Syd Cole recorded 41 assists, 13 digs, seven kills and one block. Outside hitter Gabi Placide totaled 17 kills, eight digs, two blocks, two assists and a service ace. Placide's kills total is one off her season best (18), which she reached in two other matches. Middle blocker Isabel Bennett's 16 kills was a season best, and she added four blocks.
UNC wraps up the regular season with home matches against Idaho (6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21) and Eastern Washington (2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23) at Bank of Colorado Arena. The match against Eastern Washington match will be UNC's senior day.
The Big Sky Conference tournament for the top eight teams runs Wednesday, Nov. 27-Friday, Nov. 29 at Sacramento State. Sacramento State is the tournament host as the regular-season champion in 2023.