Neville Finds Her Groove As Vandals Remain In First

Behind sophomore Jenny Neville’s triple-double, the University of Idaho volleyball team leveled Boise State 15-3, 14-16, 15-7, 15-6 before 976 fans Thursday in Memorial Gym.

Neville, the Vandals setter, tied a school record with 11 kills in 12 attempts for a .917 hitting percentage. Brittany Van Haverbeke also had a .917 mark in 1994.

“It was like her coming-out match,” third-year Idaho coach Carl Ferreira said.

“Jenny really started to take over the match. She’s just an overachiever who wants to be successful all the time.”

Neville (Sonoma, Calif.) also had 11 digs and 55 assists as Idaho snapped its two-match losing streak to its in-state rivals.

“It’s a quality rivalry,” Ferreira said. You knew (the Broncos) were going to come back in Game 2. But we didn’t panic after that game and sustained our concentration to win.”

The Vandals (13-4, 4-1 Big West) are in sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division.

Senior outside hitters Shalyne Lynch (White Rock, B.C.) and Anna Reznicek (Hermiston, Ore.) were key offensive weapons for Idaho. Reznicek, who hadn’t practiced in three days because of soreness in her back, led all players with 19 kills and recorded five blocks. Lynch pounded 17 kills and had a .429 hitting percentage.

Reznicek is a real tough woman, Ferreira said. To do what she’s doing, because of her injury, is amazing.

Idaho set the pace early, racing out to a 10-0 lead en route to a 15-3 first-game win. Boise State (4-11, 1-4 Big West) fought back, led by Jeni Elson, who finished with 11 kills and 11 digs, to claim Game 2 16-14.

But the Vandals, who were playing without star middle blocker Regan Butler (flu), proved too resilient. Freshman Rebecca Blanchard and junior Jenny Kniss filled Butler’s shoes admirably. Blanchard had six kills in limited action while Kniss registered 10 kills, eight digs and a match-high eight blocks. Heather Kniss, a sophomore, also had a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs for Idaho.

The Vandals hit .344 for the match, while holding the Broncos to an .073 mark. Tara Brinkerhoff led Boise State with 16 kills, while Becky Meek added 10.

Idaho travels to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to take on Cal Poly. The Saturday match begins at 7 p.m.

Women’s soccer

Sara Best headed in one goal and assisted on a last-minute score as University of Idaho (6-5-1) defeated Eastern Washington 3-1 in a non-conference match at Moscow.

Vandals goalkeeper Jenell Miller made nine of her 11 saves in the second half, when EWU (1-9) had a 16-11 edge in shots. Idaho’s Megan Cummings missed a late penalty kick but scored in the closing moments by rebounding one of Best’s missed shots.

Baseball

Four North Idaho College baseball players will play in the Scenic West Athletic Conference all-star game Saturday in Ontario, Ore.

Pitcher Adam Fritz, outfielder Keith Osso and catcher Rob Sumner from the ‘98 team, and shortstop Andy Larsen, who played in ‘97 before going on an LDS mission, will represent the Cardinals.

Golf

Teams with local golfers are among the leaders after the first of two rounds of the Pacific Northwest PGA Pro-Am championship at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Ore.

Mark Gardner and Grant Holcomb fired a 7-under-par 65 for a tie for third place, three strokes behind leaders Mark Knowles and Scott Krause.

Steve and Corey Prugh are another shot back, with a 66.

Shirley commits Coeur d’Alene High senior middle blocker Katie Jo Shirley has made an oral commitment to Colorado State University. The 6-foot-1 Shirley picked Colorado State over Arizona State, Boise State, the University of Colorado and Montana State. She made visits to all five schools the past five weekends, concluding with a trip to Montana State. last weekend. Shirley said she couldn’t really pinpoint a reason why she chose Colorado State. “It was a difficult decision because five great schools were looking at me,” Shirley said. “I just felt good about choosing Colorado State.” The Rams are coached by former Idaho coach Tom Hilbert. Shirley will be the second Shirley playing college volleyball. Her older sister, Angie, a junior, is a two-year starter at middle blocker for Oregon State. Coeur d’Alene will be playing in the 40-team Crossover Classic in Spokane this weekend. It will be Shirley’s first tournament with the Vikings after spending last month making college visits. “This has to be a big relief for her,” CdA coach Karla Mitchell said of Shirley’s decision. “She’s really excited about going to Colorado State.” Colorado State was 14-0 and ranked 15th in the nation going into weekend matches.