Here is what’s happening in Boise State Athletics…
FOOTBALL
After their 27-18 win against Air Force on Nov. 24, the Broncos waited patiently for their deciding fate to be drawn by computer program ranking.
On Nov. 26, it was announced that Boise State has made it to the Mountain West Championship game, and will play in Las Vegas, Nevada on Dec. 2.
VOLLEYBALL
Boise State volleyball concluded their 2023 season after falling to Fresno State in three sets (25-14, 26-24, 25-23) in the first round of the Mountain West Championship in Las Vegas.
Junior hitter Paige Bartsch led Boise State with team highs for kills with 13, service aces with three and points with 16.5.
“We struggled passing, which bled into all phases of our offense,” head coach Shawn Garus said. “We had leads and chances to win sets two and three but seemed to lose all the long rallies and big points. It’s sad to see our seniors’ careers come to an end.”
Bartsch set two school records in her final match of the season. She became the all-time leader in kills for a season with 530 and established a record breaking 52 service aces in a season.
Bartsch also moved into fifth place for career points at Boise State with 1,300.
Despite the loss in the Mountain West tournament, two players were recognized in the Mountain West volleyball postseason honors.
Among those honored were Boise State’s Bartsch and redshirt senior middle Annie Kaminski. Bartsch has been named the 2023 Mountain West Volleyball Co-Player of the Year and All-MW, while Kaminski joined her on the all-conference team.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Boise State women’s basketball went 2-1 this week with wins against Pepperdine University (63-47) and Rutgers University (68-65) and one loss at the hands of Santa Clara University (62-52).
With the win over Rutgers, Boise State picked up its first win over a Power 5 school since defeating Washington 73-69 on Dec. 16, 2018.
Sophomore guard Natalie Pasco was named to the South Point Classic All-Tournament Team. The sophomore led the team in scoring both games, averaging 16.5 points per game at the tournament. Pasco has scored in double figures in every game so far this season
Senior forward Abby Muse has been a roce to be reckoned with. After recording the 22nd double-double of her career, she also blocked six shots for the second-straight game. The senior passed Utah State’s Deja Mason (2015-19) to move into fifth place all-time in Mountain West history with 186 career blocks. Muse has also blocked 22 shots over her past four games.
Senior guard Mary Kay Naro has also been a threat on the floor after dishing out five or more assists in each of the last four games.
Boise State now sits with a 5-1 overall record and will return to ExtraMile Arena in a Nov. 29 contest against University of California Davis.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Boise State men’s baseball team traveled to Orlando, Florida for the ESPN Events Invitational where the team earned fifth place in the tournament.
The Broncos started off the tournament with a 82-75 loss against Virginia Tech University. Broncos quickly came back with a 65-61 win over Virginia Commonwealth University but then fell short in their matchup against Butler University and in turn failed to claim the fifth place award after a 70-56 loss.
The Broncos now possess a 3-4 overall record and will face Saint Marys on Dec. 1 in Idaho Falls for their next matchup.
