LEWISTON, Idaho – For the third time in the last four matches, the Lewis-Clark State Volleyball team fought its way to a fifth set before falling 3-2 (18-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 15-11) to the College of Idaho on Saturday night. The Warriors looked strong after a 25-18 opening set victory, but dropped the second, fourth and fifth. Cassidy Nelson tallied over 20 kills for the second night in a row with a total of 22 in the contest.
 
LC rattled off three straight points to open the first set, aided by a kill by Carli Berntson. The Warriors stretched their lead to 13-7 with a four-point run on kills by Grecia Ung Enriquez and Nelson, plus a pair of blocks by Jada Wyms, Nelson and Berntson. A kill by Tori Edwards capped the set at 25-18.
 
The Yotes turned the tables in the second frame and jumped out to a 14-8 lead. Another quick burst by C of I pushed the advantage to 18-9 before a 4-1 run ended the set 25-19.
 
A pair of blocks by the LC front row gave the Warriors a 3-0 lead out of the gate in the third set. Swings by Ung Enriquez and Edwards kept LC State in front 8-7 before six straight kills made it a 16-12 game. Nelson tallied four of the kills, with Berntson and Kenzie Dean each adding one. Nelson sparked a rally of four points with a pair of kills and one by Channa Hart to make it 20-13, and Ung Enriquez ended it at 25-19.
 
College of Idaho regained its momentum in the four and fifth sets. After a service ace by Kierstyn York put the Warriors ahead 7-3, the Yotes rallied to take a 12-10 lead. LC State answered with six straight with three kills by Nelson, one each from Berntson and Hart, and a block by Hart and Berntson to make it 16-12, but a stretch of LC errors gave the Yotes a 22-18 advantage. C of I answered a kill by Hannah Martinez with one of its own to finish the set 25-21.
 
The Yotes maintained control in the deciding set with a 6-2 run. A four-point run made it 10-4, but a late rally by LC with kills by Wyms and Ung Enriquez cut the deficit to two at 13-11. Back-to-back C of I kills ended the match.
 
Nelson led the match with 22 kills with a .366 attack percentage, Ung Enriquez added 12. Martinez dealt 32 assists while Jess Ruffing contributed 23, and Wyms put up six blocks at the net. Dean led the back row with 27 digs and Kendzee Cloward had 16.
 
Emily Vandenberg led the C of I offense with 12 kills, Sidney Frith had 41 assists and 12 digs, and Sydnee Steel tallied 15 digs.
 
With the loss, LC falls to 11-12 on the season and 6-9 in CCC play. The Warriors hit the road to take on Walla Walla on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. match.
 
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