Box Score EPHRAIM — The Snow College Lady Badgers showed why they are ranked No. 9 nationally with four wins this past weekend in the Scottsdale Classic Volleyball Tournament in Arizona to up their season record to 13-2. The Badgers lost only two sets as they downed both South Mountain and Glendale 3-1 and swept Eastern Arizona and Chandler-Gilbert in straight sets. Both sets Snow lost during the tournament came by scores of 23-25.
Snow opened play in the tournament Thursday night with a 23-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-20 win over South Mountain Community College from Phoenix. Sophomore
Delayne Daniel led the way with 16 kills while freshman
Brooke Lamb had 12.
Cali Tovey had 16 digs and Daniel added a dozen.
Siera Green and
Savannah Whitworth each had three blocks.
Friday morning the Badgers earned a win over Glendale Community College by scores of 25-14, 25-15, 23-25, 25-18. The team leaders were pretty much the same for Snow as Daniel and Lamb again topped the Badgers with 21 and 15 kills, respectively. Sophomore Tovey again had a game-high 14 digs with Daniel chipping in 11, and freshman Green and sophomore
Aly Stephenson each had four blocks.
"The back row defense has really improved," said Snow head coach Craig Choate. "We're starting to make plays we haven't made up to this point." Averaging 39 digs per match coming into the tournament, the Badgers had 54 and 44 digs in their first two matches in Scottsdale.
Friday afternoon Snow swept Eastern Arizona, making quick work of the Gila Monsters by scores of 25-16, 25-12, 25-16. Again Daniel and Lamb led the offense recording 12 kills apiece, and Tovey led the defense with 10 digs while Daniel added eight. Stephenson had three blocks to lead the Badgers.
The Badgers swept Chandler-Gilbert Community College Saturday morning, 25-10, 25-16, 27-25, to finish their play in the tournament. Daniel had her best outing of the tournament with 17 kills and 10 digs. Lamb added eight kills and Tovey led the Badgers with 11 digs. Stephenson had four blocks with Green and Whitworth each adding three.
"Courtney Swindelhurst was a major factor (in the tournament) with her serving," Choate said. In his inaugural season at Snow, Choate is cautiously optimistic as his team wraps up preseason play and gets ready to begin action in the Scenic West Athletic Conference next week. His Badgers will be tested quickly as they begin league play on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Salt Lake Community College (11-5). The Bruins are ranked just above Snow at No. 8 in the NJCAA national poll. The following week the Badgers will finally get to play before their home crowd as they continue league play hosting North Idaho College on Friday, Oct. 3, and No. 3 ranked College of Southern Idaho (16-1) on Saturday, Oct. 4.
