Cardinals top Spokane in four

- VOLLEYBALL

SPOKANE — Sandpoint product Kayla Neumann had 20 kills and 10 digs for North Idaho College in a 25-18, 29-31, 25-16, 25-22 win over the Community Colleges of Spokane in a Northwest Athletic Conference match at Spokane Falls Community College on Wednesday.

NIC (29-6, 13-1 NWAC) will host Columbia Basin on Friday night in a match for the East Region lead. Columbia Basin is also 13-1 in conference. Spokane is fourth in the East at 30-9, 9-5.

Halle Hess and Hailee Etter had 11 kills each, Haylee Templeton 43 assists and Rachel Leshikar 16 digs for NIC.

• WOMEN’S SOCCER

Whatcom 1

North Idaho 0, OT

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — After 90 minutes of scoreless play, the Cardinals had their season come to an end on a penalty kick by Alexis Dettling of the Orcas in the opening round of the Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs.

NIC finishes 12-7.

“It was a very tough battle by two evenly matched teams,” NIC coach Dan Hogan said. “Both teams had opportunities to score in regulation.”

In overtime, NIC was called for a hand ball in the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick for Whatcom, which they converted to end the match.

Kinzie Hunter had four saves for NIC.

“Kinzie was outstanding in goal,” Hogan said. “On two occassions in the second half, she came off her line and sacrified her body in big collisions to save a 1-v-1 with the Orcas center forward.”

Whatcom (13-5-1) advances to face Clark College, the top seed from the South Region on Saturday.

First half — none. Second half — none. Overtime — 1, WCC, Alexis Dettling (unassisted), 90:06.

Shots on goal — NIC 4, WCC 5.

Saves — NIC, Kinzie Hunter 4; WCC, Erin Smith 4.