Boise State Athletics
Boise State
10-6 (2-2)
Fresno State
9-8 (1-2)
Broncos Down Fresno State in Five Sets
10/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BOISE, Idaho- The Boise State women's volleyball team notched a second consecutive Mountain West Conference win with a spirited victory over Fresno State 25-20, 26-28, 8-25, 31-29, 15-9. It was the 12th time in the last 16 meetings against the Bulldogs that they went five sets.
"It's great to get another win," Boise State head coach Shawn Garus said. "As tough as it was, it feels even better right now. I feel like we should be able to beat that team. They played great, their defense played great, and I'm proud of that victory."
Sierra Nobley led the Broncos with a 20-kill performance off of 58 attacks. Freshmen Sabryn Roberts and Phoebe Bell were second on the team with 14 kills each.
Nobley also finished with 13 digs to earn her fourth double-double of the season.
Senior setter Sara Baugh finished with 63 assists, two kills and 11 digs for her eighth double-double of the season.
The Broncos and Bulldogs traded barbs in the first set before Boise State overcame a five-point deficit to Fresno State in the first set en route to a 25-20 win.
Fresno State fought off a Bronco rally in the second set to win 28-26.
The Bulldogs won the third set 25-8 to put go up 2-1 in the match.
"We struggled a lot in the third set," Garus said. "I took a couple of people out to let them rest. Like Sierra Nobley, I took her out in the third set knowing I would put her back in because she is a difference maker, and that's what she was. I also switched up our middles. Maddy O'Donnell is one of our best players day in and day out, but she's been struggling with some injuries and she just didn't have the bounce that we needed, so I went to Katie Elgan in the middle and it gave the team a tremendous spark."
The Broncos fought back from a 5-0 deficit early in the fourth set to battle back and forth with Fresno State before winning the set 31-29.
Nobley's rest paid dividends for the Broncos as she finished with seven kills in the fourth set alone.
In the fifth set, Boise State struck first and never looked back en route to a 15-9 win to seal the match.
"Obviously it's fun to be competitive like this, but after losing 8-25 and coming back to beat this team so close," sophomore Katie Elgan said. "We know what we can do and that we can win. Any tight situation is going to be easy, it's going to be cake for us to pull it out."
The Broncos now improve to 10-6 on the season, and 2-2 in MW play. Boise State is now fifth in the MW.
Boise State will now travel to Utah State for an Oct. 6 match-up against the Aggies. Utah State is last in the MW with an 0-4 record in conference play.
