TMU Women's Volleyball splits on first day of C of I Fall Classic

TMU Women's Volleyball bounced back from a sweep defeat to Montana Western (23-25, 21-25, 18-25) to beat tournament hosts College of Idaho in four sets (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19) on the first day of the C of I Fall Classic on Friday.
 
In the first set against Montana Western, the Bulldogs took a commanding 14-7 advantage, only for the Mustangs to fight back and take a 19-17 lead behind a balanced offensive attack. UMW surged back in front, 23-20, but TMU immediately tied the set with three-straight points capped by a Natalie Collins service ace. However, the Bulldogs won the next two points to take the opening set.
 
Master's showed lots of fight in the second set to battle back on multiple occasions when Montana Western appeared to be pulling away. UMW raced ahead 7-1 and then 16-7, but the Mustangs twice got back to within two, as late as 22-20. TMU only managed one more point the remainder of the set to fall behind two-sets-to-none.
 
In the third set, the Bulldogs once again took sizable, early leads (6-1 and 16-7), but seven-straight Mustang points brought Master's within two. However, UMW scored the next five points to take away any hope of a TMU comeback, ultimately completing the sweep with a seven-point margin of victory in the third set.
 
In the match, Ruby Duncan led the Mustangs with seven kills and two service aces, while Collins added 24 assists and Karli Stults 18 digs.
 
Then in the night cap, Master's turned a back-and-forth first set on its head with a 6-0 run to put TMU up 14-7. College of Idaho got no closer than four points the rest of the way, with the Mustangs taking the first set by seven points.
 
In the second set, neither team separated itself by more than four points. TMU led 20-17 when a 4-0 C of I run put the hosts ahead for the first time in the set. Two Faith Tarver kills immediately restored the Mustangs' advantage, only for College of Idaho to score four of the final five points to even the match at one-set apiece.
 
With the third set tied 5-5, three Emily Scott kills in a 10-0 Master's run gave TMU a commanding lead. The Yotes battled back to tie the set at 21-apiece, but back-to-back kills from Scott and Emilye Grace Williams ultimately claimed the third set for Master's and put the Mustangs ahead 2-1 in the match.
 
TMU seized its opportunity in the fourth set to clinch the match, controlling the set from start to finish. Williams once again provided the exclamation point, with her kill clinching the win with a six-point margin of victory in the fourth set.
 
Four Mustangs recorded double-digit kills, led by Scott's career-high 14 on an impressive attack % of .550. Duncan and Tarver each added 12 kills, a career-best for Duncan, with Williams providing 11 of her own. Collins set a career-high with 52 assists, while also adding 10 digs.
 
Duncan led the Mustangs with four service aces, while she and Williams both tallied four blocks. Williams and Stults tied for the team lead with 14 digs.
 
TMU (2-4 overall) returns to action on the second and final day of the tournament with matches against No. 14 Eastern Oregon University (8 a.m.) and Carroll College (2 p.m.).
 
Watch the match at: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/yoteathletics/ or follow along with the live stats at: https://sidearmstats.com/cofidaho/wvball/xlive.htm.