The NIC volleyball team (16-2, 3-2 SWAC) defeated a pair of conference opponents this weekend. NIC beat Utah State University-Eastern in Price, Utah, Saturday in straight sets and handled Colorado Northwestern C.C. in Rangely, Colo., Friday in three sets also.
On Sept. 28, NIC lost to the College of Southern Idaho 3-0 in Twin Falls, Idaho.
At the time, the top ranked Lady Cardinals beat Snow College of Ephraim, Utah in four sets with scores of 21-25, 25-12, 25-18 and 25-17 Sept. 22 at Christianson Gymnasium.
Yang Yang led both teams with 14 kills and Brooklynn Bradbury led with 21 assists.
NIC recovered from its first loss of the season against Salt Lake Community College two days prior to playing Snow.
“It was nice to see their response from losing in five on Thursday but every game is going to be huge,” head coach Kandice Gregorak said. “Snow’s just as good as Salt Lake.”
The Lady Cardinals got off to a rocky start against Snow losing its first set but responded with an 11-2 start in the second set and a win.
NIC never looked back as the Lady Cardinals went on to win the next two sets.
Two days earlier on Sept. 20, NIC was upset in a five game match against the visiting Salt Lake C.C. Bruins, the Cardinals’ first loss of the season.
NIC began the night strong with a 25-19 victory.
With the Lady Cardinals up 19-17 in the second game, the Bruins went on a 5-0 run and eventually won 25-21.
In the third set, NIC freshman Marissa Verduci broke a 12-12 tie with a spike. The Cardinals were able to ride this momentum, eventually winning on another spike by Verduci for the win, 25-22.
With the Cardinals up 2-1 in the match, the Bruins responded with a 25-15 win.
In the final set, NIC took a 1-0 lead, but the Bruins went on a 4-0 run, and were unwilling to render the lead for the remainder of the game winning 15-8 and taking the match 3 games to 2.
“We really just kind of shut down,” freshman HayleeMae Dennis said. “We didn’t really have confidence like we usually do.”
Two days prior to the Salt Lake game, freshman Leeta Grap had six kills and Bradbury 11 assists as NIC beat the NAIA Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC) Warriors 25-17, 25-23, 25-23 in a nonconference match at Christianson Gym Sept. 18.
NIC had to battle during the second match as LCSC took an 18-12 lead, but NIC held on to win the set 25-23. The third set was also close as it was tied at 21-21 late, but NIC finished with a 25-23 win.
“I think of us from the first week of preseason up to the fourth week of preseason and we are a different team,” Gregorak said. “All the teams in our conference are. Because we are mostly freshmen there will be continual room for improvement.”
Yang had eight blocks and five kills. Sophomore Kaitlyn Molloy dove for 10 digs and sophomore Shelby Lausen had three kills.
“Last year there were more sophomores so we had a lot more leadership on the team,” Lausen said. “It took us all a while to buy into everything, but now the team chemistry is great. We are like family.”
