LA GRANDE, Ore. — Junior Sahara Browning set the single-game program record with 29 kills in a five-set victory against No. 16 College of Idaho in the quarterfinal of the Cascade Conference Women's Volleyball Tournament presented by U.S. Bank at Quinn Coliseum on Thursday.

The Wolves advanced to the CCC Tournament semifinals for the first time in program history with a 30-28, 27-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-11 win. Walla Walla improved to 14-11 on the season, the Yotes dropped to 18-10.

"The wolves made history tonight," Walla Walla head coach Kiana Krumm said. "I couldn't be more proud of how hard our team worked to get here."

Browning filled up the stat sheet with her record 29 kills and team-leading 19 digs. The junior broke the single game kill record held by Natalie Wilkening (27) for 16 years. The 29 kills also propelled Browning's season total to 421 and broke her own single season record of 408 that she set last season.

Yaimaris Garcia had 51 assists, a day after setting the single-game record with 53, and added eight digs and seven total blocks. Garcia also had six service aces including a streak of five straight in the first set to help guide the Wolves to an early 8-0 advantage. The freshman, who was named co-setter and co-freshman of the year in the CCC earlier in the day, pushed her season total to 80 aces, fourth-most in conference history.

Paula Flores added 16 kills and 13 digs. Natalia Jimenez contributed 11 kills and seven digs and Adree Selley served three aces. Catalina Gutierrez Sebastia had seven total blocks and Myckayla Shaver added six total blocks of her own. The 13 total blocks by WWU was the second most this season.

Brooke Garman had 14 kills for College of Idaho. Madeline Lee led the Yotes with 22 assists and Alexa Wheeler had seven total blocks. Kadence Boyd and Madeline Lee both finished the match with 15 digs.

Walla Walla outstated College of Idaho in several key categories; kills (66-45), aces (12-11), assists (63-42), digs (66-61) and hitting percentage (.114-.084).

Each of the first three sets were pushed past the normal standards as neither team was able to pull away late. 

The Wolves denied CI three set point opportunities in the first set, the final with a kill by Browning. Flores put WWU ahead with an ace before Jimenez and Gutierrez Sebastia blocked Mia Hutchinson to close out the opening set 30-28.

In the second set it was the Yotes that rallied late and stopped the Wolves four times at set point. A block by Hutchinson and Cora Young flipped the lead to College of Idaho with a block. Walla Walla would not be denied when Garica and Gutierrez Sebastia blocked a potential set point, Jimenez slammed one home and an attack error by Abigail Flerchinger pushed the Wolves advantage to two sets to none.

The Yotes looked to put the third set away with two chances at set point. Jimenez put a kill away to extend the set the first time and a service error saved a second opportunity. However, Walla Walla could not take advantage and CI won the next two points and pushed the match to a fourth set.

That fourth set was full of runs early on and the two quarterfinal teams flipped the advantage back and forth. It was College of Idaho that found the last run and made sure to not allow the Wolves to have late set magic with a five point rally and forced a fifth set.

For the second consecutive round it was the Wolves who had to dig deep after being forced to a fifth set and for the second consecutive round they were able to find something. The Yotes led 9-8 when Flores spiked back-to-back points away and a bad set gave the Wolves a two point lead. Three points later Garcia completed her sixth ace of the contest to set up match point, but a service error extended the wait. Flores did not let the Walla Walla fans wait long as she put the next point away for the victory.

UP NEXT

The Wolves will take on top-seed and host No. 1 Eastern Oregon in the CCC semifinals at 2 p.m. on Friday.

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