Here is what is happening in Boise State Athletics…
VOLLEYBALL
The Broncos had two matchups on the week, starting with a 3-1 loss to San Diego State and coming back with a 3-1 win over University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) in the Bronco Gym.
The Aztecs hosted the Broncos on Oct. 19 and put on a strong performance to take down the Blue and Orange.
Though the Broncos came up short on their first match of the week, some players stood out for the Broncos. Paige Bartsch hit .339 and had one assist and nine digs to go along with 25 kills and five block assists. Libero Breanna Mitchell came in with a team high 21 while middle Annie Kaminski had eight kills and tied Bartsch for the lead in blocks with five.
Boise State then returned home to put on an absolute show against UNLV at home on Oct. 21. The Broncos were able to roll past the Rebels in four sets in a high intensity matchup.
All four sets were tight and decided by two points each as the Broncos held on for a big Mountain West victory 25-23, 23-25, 27-25, 25-23 over the co-preseason favorites to improve to 11-9 overall and 7-3 in league play, tied for second place.
“I thought it was a great battle, highly contested from start to finish,” head coach Shawn Garus. “Both teams had chances to win each of the four sets. That may be the first match we’ve played this year that two points decided all four sets. I loved seeing other people step up and make plays in the clutch.
Kaminski took the reins during this matchup and recorded a team and career-high 17 kills while hitting .762 with three block assists and a season-high 18.5 points.
Setter Noelani Helm led the team with her ninth double-double on the season, garnering 41 assists and 14 digs to go with nine kills, one service ace, two blocks and 11 points.
The Broncos now have a 11-9 overall record and 7-3 in conference play with a grasp on second place in the Mountain West standings. The Lady Broncos will travel to Wyoming and Colorado State for their next matchups.
SOCCER
Boise State soccer broke many records this week and also picked up two wins for a tremendous week full of surprises.
With Boise State soccer’s 2-1 victory over University of Nevada on Oct. 19 , head coach Jim Thomas recorded his 112th win, breaking the record for most wins by a head coach in program history.
Despite being down 1-0 in the 79th minute, forward Kenzie MacMillan knocked in her ninth goal of the season to even up the score 1-1.
Just 30 seconds later, the Blue and Orange took a 2-1 lead when Evva Vail found the back of the net.
The Broncos walked away with the 2-1 win and were able to crown Coach Thomas as the winningest coach in program history.
“Glad that it’s over and we don’t need to talk about records anymore,” Thomas said. “Records can hang heavy on you until it’s broken but there’s so many people and players I get to share this with and so much support that goes with it.”
In their matchup against University of Nevada Las Vegas, senior goalkeeper Genevieve Crenshaw and Boise State soccer shutout UNLV 1-0 on the road on Oct. 22.
With the shutout, Crenshaw notched her 19th shutout of her Boise State career, the most in program history.
“I’m so pumped for Gen (Crenshaw) to now solely hold that record,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be exciting to see what she does the rest of this season and next.”
Cindy Conner scored the lone goal to lead the Broncos in the 1-0 victory.
The shutout against UNLV gave the Broncos a guarantee to finish within the top-three in the Mountain West standings.
The Broncos will close the regular season in Boise against Utah State on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m., at Boas Soccer Complex.
CROSS COUNTRY
The Boise State men’s cross country team entered the national rankings for the first time this season. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Oct. 17 that the Broncos claimed the No. 23 slot in the nation.
The Broncos are the second-highest ranked Mountain West team in the national poll with 94 points, five spots behind No. 18 New Mexico.
The Blue and Orange were also ranked No. 2 in the USTCCCA West Regional Rankings, moving up six spots from the last poll.
The recognition comes following their performance at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational. The team captured an 18th-place finish and defeated eight nationally-ranked teams, at the time.
This is the highest the Broncos have been ranked nationally since 2021, where they were ranked No. 20 in week 6.
Boise State will host the MW Cross Country Championships at Eagle Island Park in Eagle, Idaho, on Oct. 27.
MEN’S TENNIS
Boise State men’s tennis racked up the championships at the General Patton Invitational hosted by the Broncos at the Appleton Tennis Center.
The Broncos went 4-1 in doubles play and 8-6 in singles to garner two championships on the weekend.
Kyvan Rietkerk won two titles at the Invitational, claiming championships in doubles and Flight B Singles. Rietkerk finished the weekend undefeated, going a combined 8-0 in singles and doubles.
Jan Lucca Marquardt won the doubles title and went a combined 6-2 overall in singles and doubles.
Boise State will send a contingent to the SoCal Intercollegiate at the University of Southern California on Oct. 27-29.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Boise State hosted the City of Trees Classic on Oct. 23 and took “home field advantage” to another level.
The Broncos walked away winners of all three championships of the City of Trees Classic and didn’t lose a single bracket-play match to a pair from another school.
The Broncos finished 12-0 against the likes of Oregon and Utah setting up an all-Bronco championship across all three divisions. As a team, Boise State finished the two-day event with a total record of 23-5 against pairs from the two opposing schools.
“It was an amazing day for our program,” head coach Allison Voigt said. “You know it was a really good weekend when you have six pairs represented in all three finals. The fact that we have a team that has this much depth is extremely exciting. There’s a lot of people on this team that can make an impact.”
Gold winners were Marlayna Bullington and Sierra Land, silver bracket winners were Nora Hayd and Kaylee Mejia and bronze bracket winners were Summer McCann and Elli Wolthuis.
