Bears cruise into semifinal with sweep over Idaho

Wednesday, March 31

Greeley, Colo.

7 p.m. MT

University of Northern Colorado

14-3,14-3Big Sky

University of Idaho

6-11,5-10Big Sky

Idaho

Northern Colo.

3/31/2021 9:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: By Thomas Hoffman, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – In one of the most balanced efforts of the season, Northern Colorado knocked off Idaho for a third straight match, this time in straight sets to claim a spot in Thursday's Big Sky semifinals.

Hustle highlighted the opening set for the Bears. While the offense took a moment to oil up its gears, Kyndall Feather, Laura Katarzynski and the entire backline were busy running down balls. Holding the Vandals to just .048 hitting was only part of the reason UNC was able to find some separation.

Offensively, Taylor Muff, Rachel Hickman, Kailey Jo Ince and Cece Huhn all picked up at least three kills in the set as UNC went on to hit capture the first frame.

S1 | @taymuff gets going early!#BearsStrong #BigSkyVB pic.twitter.com/apZ3qVYZBP
— UNC Bears Volleyball (@UNC_BearsVB) April 1, 2021

In fact, balance was the name of the game all evening long.

Muff finished with 13 kills, Hickman tallied nine, Huhn collected seven, Ince grabbed seven, Daisy Schultz added five and Lauren Hinrichs managed four. Collectively, the Bears hit .278 and aced Idaho four times.

S2 | Hickman finishes off the set!!#BearsStrong #BigSkyVB pic.twitter.com/vCZOhf0deH
— UNC Bears Volleyball (@UNC_BearsVB) April 1, 2021

Schultz had the offense working to perfection in the second set. The Bears hit its best percentage of the match, smashing a robust .385 in the second frame alone.

True to UNC style, a little aggressive serving also led to some easy kills for Cece Huhn and the middles.

The third stanza featured more of the same. Northern Colorado made it increasingly harder for the Vandals to stack together any runs, covering their hitters and setting up well on the defensive end.

S3 | Just terrific hustle finished off by Cece!!#BearsStrong #BigSkyVB pic.twitter.com/FJWvVNIkI6
— UNC Bears Volleyball (@UNC_BearsVB) April 1, 2021

By the night's end, the Bears out dug Idaho 49-31 and while the Vandals committed fewer attacking errors, the stingy UNC defense still held them to .106 hitting.

Putting it all together towards the end of the third, Northern Colorado capped the night off on an 8-0 run, steamrolling into the semifinals.

What They Said

Game Notes

Taylor Muff led the team with 13 kills and 12 digs, her eighth double-double of the season.
Kyndall Feather, Laura Katarzynski and Taylor Muff shared a team-high 12 digs.
Cece Huhn had the best production of the night, claiming seven kills on .455 hitting.
Northern Colorado boasted a perfect reception percentage while acing Idaho four times.
Two of those aces came from Kyndall Feather.

What's Ahead
The Bears meet Southern Utah for the first time this season in the semifinals on Thursday. The match is slated for 7 p.m. MT. Limited tickets are available for purchase, get yours at UNCBears.com/tickets!

To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.