Box Score

SEATTLE, Wash. - The offensive duo of Amanda Pedersen-Henry (Murrieta, Calif./Visitation Academy) and Allie Loitz (Bonita, Calif./ Bonita Vista) combined for 26 of the 45 Villanova kills on the day, as the Wildcats (3-2) swept Idaho (3-3) 25-23, 25-13, 25-22 on Saturday.

Michaela Berendt (Olympia, Wash. Olympia) hit a team-high .667 attack percentage with nine kills on 12 attempts and just one error while playing in her home state of Washington.

As a whole, Villanova had their most efficient offensive match of the early-season, with a match-high .348 hitting percentage.

Head Coach Josh Steinbach thought the team's effectiveness on offense was much improved today compared to yesterday's loss against #5 Washington.

"Offensively, we executed much better today than yesterday," explained Steinbach. Our middles did a good job scoring and Emma (Decker) was able to find them."

Emma Decker (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth Academy) had 43 assists on the day, equaling her match-high when she had 43 against Ohio last weekend.

Loitz tallied three kills in Villanova's first five points to set the tone of the match in the first set. The set started even between the two teams with no team taking a significant lead until Idaho was able to muster a 12-8 advantage.

Villanova responded with a 6-3 run of their own, featuring kills from Loitz and Remy Fairchild (Southlake, Texas/Southlake Carroll Senior) to cut the lead to one at 15-14. However, the Vandals would take the next three points to reestablish the four point lead at 18-14. After a Wildcat timeout, Villanova responded with a vital 9-2 run to take a 23-20 lead late in the set.

Idaho would attempt a comeback, but would fall short as Villanova took the first set, 25-23. In the opening set, Berendt had five kills on six attempts to start the match with a .833 attack percentage.

The Wildcats dominated the second set, taking four of the first five-points of the set to take an early 4-1 lead. Several Villanova kills and a couple of aces expanded the second set lead to 12-6 to force an Idaho timeout. The 'Cats finished what they started in set two with a commanding 13-7 run to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Villanova had an attack percentage of .400 during the second set, while Idaho struggled with nine errors.

Idaho regrouped after the disappointing second set, starting set three on a 7-1 run. Pedersen-Henry would not allow the Vandals to force a fourth set however, as the sophomore middle blocker totaled seven kills on nine attempts in the third and final set. Villanova was able to tie the set at 10 apiece with a 9-3 run by the Wildcats.

The Vandals kept the rest of the set close as the two teams would trade leads. With the score tied at 22, it was the Wildcats that found separation, with kills 12 and 13 from Pedersen-Henry and a match-winning ace by freshman Regan Lough (Riverside, Calif. Matin Luther King) to complete the sweep.

The Wildcats will play their third and final match of the Seattle Invite against Seattle University tomorrow at 4 pm.