VOLLEYBALL EARNS BIG WIN AFTER SWEEPING IDAHO STATE
10/9/2009
POCATELLO, Idaho -- Senior Desiree Hoyum posted team highs in kills (18) and digs (19), and junior Maddison Thivierge added eight kills and a .400 hitting percentage to lead Sacramento State to a three-set sweep (25-17, 28-26, 25-20) of Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference volleyball match Friday evening at Reed Gym.
With the victory, Sacramento State (10-9, 2-3) won arguably its biggest match of the season as the team had lost three straight and found itself in a tie for seventh place. Now, the Hornets jump into a two-way tie for fifth, and return to action tomorrow night when the team travels to Weber State.
Sacramento State also extended its dominance over Idaho State, improving to 25-3 all-time against the Bengals, including an 11-3 mark in Pocatello. In addition, the Hornets’ 10 victories this year already matches the team’s win total from all of last season.
Idaho State, which entered the match all alone in fourth place in the Big Sky standings, dropped to 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the conference. The Bengals had won two straight (both on the road) with victories over Montana and Montana State last week.
Sacramento State’s defense turned in 66 digs and limited Idaho State to just a .132 hitting percentage. The Hornets tallied 16 more kills than Idaho State (51-35), four more team blocks (6.0-2.0), two more aces (5-3) and hit .268 for the match.
Sacramento State had an easy time in both the first and third sets, but had to save two set points in the second frame before kills from freshman Janelle Currey (27-26) and Hoyum (28-26) eventually gave the Hornets the second set.
Hoyum’s 18 kills accompanied a .325 hitting percentage as the outside hitter committed just five errors in 40 total attacks. Thivierge did not commit an attack error all evening as her eight kills came in 20 attempts. She was also one of four Hornets with three blocks, including Currey, Anna Schoener and Kelsey Elston.
Currey also recorded a double-double for Sacramento State, finishing with 14 kills, 10 digs and two aces. Hoyum (18), Currey (14) and Thivierge (8) accounted for 40 of the Hornets’ 51 kills, and the threesome combined for a .278 hitting percentage (40-10-108). Four Sacramento State players had at least 10 digs, comprised of Hoyum, Currey, libero Breanne Menees (17) and setter Melissa Melcher (11).
Of the Idaho State players that finished the match with more than one kill, only one had a hitting percentage better than .200, and that was Sarah Carson’s four kills and .231 hitting percentage. Haylee Thompson had 10 kills and a .200 hitting percentage, and Jaclyn Hone finished with 11 kills and a .135 hitting percentage.
Sacramento State returns to action tomorrow night when the team travels to Ogden, Utah, to take on Weber State at 6 p.m. PDT. The Hornets are 22-7 all-time against the Wildcats, including an 8-4 mark in Ogden.
POCATELLO, Idaho -- Senior 
