Vandals close in on second place in WAC volleyball

Allison Walker and Alicia Milo combined for 32 kills and 24 digs Thursday as Idaho defeated Fresno State 3-1 at Fresno, Calif., to creep up on second place in Western Athletic Conference volleyball.

The Vandals (15-11, 9-4) can claim second place – and a bye into the semifinals of the WAC tournament – if they beat Nevada on Saturday and New Mexico State loses to sixth-ranked Hawaii.

Jenny Feicht added 47 assists, five blocks and three aces for Idaho, which is 9-2 since Oct. 1.

The Bulldogs dropped to 12-14, 6-7.

• Katherine Douglas, Dana Knudsen and Kayla Lommori had 12 kills apiece as seventh-place Santa Clara (10-14, 5-8 West Coast Conference) swept last-place Gonzaga (7-18, 1-13) at Santa Clara, Calif.

Junior Kylie Edinger had nine kills and senior Laura Day 15 digs for the Bulldogs. Day had her 17th double-digit digs effort of the season.

GU lost its seventh consecutive match and has two matches left this season.

Men’s soccer

Whitworth senior goalkeeper Brian Sherpe, who finished the season with 10 shutouts, was named Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year, topping a list of nine Pirates named to the NWC team.

Other Pirates on the first team are: senior defenders Nic Shaw and Dion Coxe, and senior midfielders Cameron Bushey (Mead High), JT Meyer and Nate Spangler.

Pirates senior defender Taylor Willi made the second team.

Freshman forward Robby Ubben and freshman defender Colin Shockman (Mead High) were named honorable mention.

Prep football

Derek Isaak had seven carries for 254 yards and three touchdowns, returned an interception for a TD and scored on a punt return as Almira/Coulee-Hartline (11-0) defeated Wilbur-Creston 64-24 in a State 1B play-in game at Coulee City.

Colin Deyarmin added six carries for 109 yards and three TDs for the Warriors, who will meet either Cusick or Touchet in a quarterfinal on Nov. 19.

Davey Ogle of the Wildcats (4-6) had 15 carries for 77 yards and one TD and completed 9 of 14 passes for 90 yards and two TDs.

Girls basketball

Kaity Flores scored 10 points as host Kellogg opened its season with a 46-22 win over Mullan at the Silver Valley tournament.