Idaho State University Women's Basketball

Follow @HeartOfABengal Seton Sobolewski enters his 19th season as head coach of the Idaho State women’s basketball team in 26-27. He was named the 12th Head Coach in program history in 2008. He quickly established a winning culture and soon became the winningest coach in program history with his 94th win on Feb. 1, 2014 against his alma matter Northern Arizona. He also led Idaho State to its third Big Sky Conference Title and was named Big Sky Conference Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year during the 2011-12 season.   Everything Idaho State’s head coach does is with his players in mind. In his 16 seasons with ISU, he has coached: -26 Big Sky All-Conference Team members including ten first-team members -Four Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team member -14 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament Team members including MVPs Chelsea Pickering (2011-12) and Estefania Ors (2020-21) -One Big Sky All-Conference Newcomer of the Year -One Big Sky All-Conference Freshman of the Year -One Big Sky All-Conference Defensive Player of the Year -Two Big Sky Conference Top Reserves -One Big Sky Conference NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee -72 Big Sky All-Academic Team members -One Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete -20 Big Sky Conference Players of the Week. Through 18 seasons at Idaho State, Sobolewski has compiled a 305-248 record overall with an 192-133 Big Sky record. Prior to the change in the Big Sky conference tournament structure where every team makes post-season play, Sobolewski led ISU to 11-straight tournament appearances, the second longest streak in the Big Sky during the same time period. In 2026, Sobolewski, on his home court in Reed Gym, led the Bengals to a 69-57 win over the Portland State Vikings. The win was Sobolewski’s 300th career victory, becoming just one of four Head Coaches in Big Sky History to pass the 300 win mark in his carreer.  In 2021, one of the best years of Sobolewki’s career,  the Bengals went 22-4 overall and 15-2 in conference play. They won the Big Sky Regular Season Championship and the 2021 Big Sky Tournament. The Bengals faced the University of Kentucky where they fell 71-63, the first Big Sky team to keep within single-digit points in an NCAA tournament game since 1997. Dora Goles was named to the All-Big Sky preseason team and to the first-team All Big Sky. Diaba Konate earned second-team All-Big Sky. Montana Oltrogee and Callie Bourne were named to the 2021 All-Tournament Team and Estefania Ors was named the 2021 Big Sky Tournament MVP. The 2021 Big Sky Tournament Championship win also marked Sobolewski’s 400th career game coached. He earned two coaching honors in 2021 including WhoopDirt.com national DI coach of the week and the Big Sky Conference Co-Coach of the Year. In 2020, the Bengals went 18-13 overall and 13-7 in conference play. They finished the regular season sitting No. 3 seed and would go on to make it to the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament. Dora Goles and Callie Bourne were named Second Team All-Big Sky. Estefania Ors was named to the Preseason All-Conference team. In 2019, Idaho State went 20-11 for his third-best win percentage of his career. They went 15-5 in conference play to lead to a No. 3 seed in the Big Sky Tournament.  Grace Kenyon was named to First Team All-Big Sky, Saylair Grandon was named to Second Team All-Big Sky and Estefania Ors earned honorable mention recognition.  In 2018, Sobolewski’s squad tallied a 21-11 record for the second-best win percentage of his career. The Bengals went 11-7 in conference play to clinch the No. 5 seed in the Big Sky Tournament. The Bengals continued to make noise in the postseason, advancing to the semifinals after mounting the biggest comeback in tournament history against Weber State. Idaho State was trailing by 25 in the third before winning the game 113-109 in overtime. The Bengals fell in the semifinals to Northern Colorado, the eventual conference champion. Saylair Grandon was named to the Big Sky All-Tournament Team and Brooke Blair and Grace Kenyon earned Second Team All-Big Sky honors. Estefania Ors also earned Top-Reserve honors. Additionally, the Bengals won the Most Improved Field Goal Shooting Award from the NCAA after shooting 45.8 percent from the floor. During the 2017 season, Sobolewski led the Bengals to their second-straight Big Sky Conference tournament championship game appearance, this time as the No. 6 seed after finishing conference play with a 10-8 record. Three Bengals earned all-conference recognition as Freya Newton earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors, Estefania Ors was named Outstanding Freshman while Saylair Grandon earned Third Team All-Big Sky honors. As a team, Idaho State finished atop the conference in five categories: scoring defense, rebounding defense, rebounding margin, defensive rebounding percentage and offensive rebounding percentage. In 2016, Idaho State finished ninth in Big Sky play with an 8-10 record with nine games decided by five points or less. Three Bengals finished in the top 15 in scoring (Apiphany Woods, 11th; Brooke Blair, 14th; Anna Policicchio, 15th), while Policicchio led the league and ranked 24th in the nation in blocked shots with 2.7 per contest. The Bengals had a memorable post-season run, knocking off No. 1 Montana State in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament off a last-second three from Juliet Jones. ISU advanced to the championship of the BSC tournament for the first time since 2012 and the fifth time in school history, losing to No. 3 Idaho 67-55. Both Policicchio and Blair earned All-Tournament honors. The Bengals returned to the Big Sky conference tournament in 2015 and lost to tournament host and eventual champion Montana 69-67 in the quarterfinals. ISU boasted two all-conference selections in 2015 as senior guard Apiphany Woods was selected as the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year and sophomore Megan Hochstein was one of three players to be named the Big Sky Conference Top Reserve. In 2014, ISU fell to tournament host and eventual Big Sky Tournament Champion North Dakota 78-53 in the tournament semifinals after defeating Eastern Washington 70-65 (OT) in the quarterfinals of the 2014 tournament. In 2013 Sobolewski led the Idaho State to the second straight postseason tournament. The Bengals were awarded an at-large bid to the WNIT. It was ISU’s first trip to the WNIT and the first since 2008. The Bengals lost to BYU 69-54 in the first-round.    In 2012 Sobolewski led the Bengals to their third regular-season and Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship. Under his leadership, ISU made its third trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history, facing the Miami Hurricanes in the first round. The 2012 season was Sobolewsi’s most successful. He accumulated 24 overall wins, the second most wins in a single season in program history. His 14 conference victories during the same season is also the second most conference wins in a single season in program history. His success during the season earned him his first Big Sky Coach of the Year honors. Since his first season, Sobolewski has helped the Bengals continuously improve its win total and for the sixth straight season posted a winning conference record. During the 2010-11 season the Bengals opened with a 10-game home win streak and finished 12-1 for the year.  Over the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Sobolewski’s Bengals held a 14-game home win streak, the second longest in school history. In 2011, Sobolewski led the Bengals to an 18-12 record for the third most wins in a single season in Idaho State school history.  The Bengals also defeated Utah for the first time in school history. He led the Bengals to a three-way second place tie in the Big Sky regular season with a 10-6 record during the 2009-10 season.  He led the Bengals to a .500 overall record (15-15) and helped Idaho State make its 12th Big Sky championship appearance.  He led the Bengals to 15 victories to tie for the sixth most victories in a single season at Idaho State. In his first season Sobolewski helped the Bengals to a fourth-place finish in the Big Sky regular season where ISU had a near upset of Montana in the Big Sky semifinal tournament game.    In coming to Idaho State, Sobolewski took over one of the top programs in the Big Sky Conference, as the Bengals have qualified for the postseason seven times in the past twelve seasons, winning regular season titles in 2001, 2006 and 2012 winning the conference tournament in 2001, 2007 and 2012, advancing to the NCAA Tournament all three seasons. The Bengals have also qualified for the WNIT in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2013. Before Idaho State, Sobolewski was a major part of UC Riverside’s success as a Division I program that won a Big West regular season title, two Big West Tournament titles, made two NCAA appearances, and nearly upset No. 8 Arizona State in the 2007 NCAA tournament. The last four of those years were spent serving under John Margaritis, who was a former associate head coach at Northern Arizona. While serving as recruiting coordinator at UC Riverside, Sobolewski recruited and coached 2007 Big West Conference player of the year Kemie Nkele. The players brought in during his time as recruiting coordinator earned one Big West Conference player of the year award, one freshman of the year award, one defensive player of the year award, three Big West Conference tournament MVP awards, four All-Big West tournament awards, five first team All-Big West Conference awards, three second team All-Big West Conference awards, seven honorable mention All-Big West Conference awards, five All-Big West freshman team awards, eight Big West Conference player of the week awards, and three Big West academic all-conference award winners. These awards were won over three seasons. Sobolewski served one year as an assistant with the men’s program at Yavapai Junior College where the team advanced to the region tournament after going 19-12 for the year. In 2000-01, Sobolewski served as an assistant with the girls’ basketball program at Coconino High School in Flagstaff where he served under Head Coach Jenny Shayani.  Coconino improved nine games that year to 15-12 overall. Sobolewski attended Eastern Arizona College, starting on the men’s basketball team for two years from 1995-97.  He then moved to Oklahoma Panhandle State University a Division II school in Goodwell, Okla., where he played from 1997-99. In 1998, he was selected to Who’s Who in America’s Colleges and Universities. A 2001 graduate of Northern Arizona University with a bachelor of sciences degree in biology with an emphasis in secondary education, Sobolewski got his start by serving as a manager under former NAU Head Coach Meg Sanders for the 1999-2000 season. The Bengal’s head coach hails from Flagstaff, Ariz. where his parents reside. He is married to the former Katie Haan of Upland, Calif.  They have two daughters, Aubrey and Emery.

Sobolewski (so-bo-LES-ski) enters his ninth season as the head womens basketball coach at Idaho State, the 12th head coach in ISU history. With over 100 career wins, Sobolewski is now the winningest coach in Idaho State womens basketball history. He surpassed his predecessor Jon Newlee with his 94th win on Feb. 1, 2014 against his alma mater Northern Arizona.   In his eight seasons at Idaho State, Sobolewski has compiled a 131-117 record overall with an 80-60 Big Sky record. Prior to the change in the Big Sky conference tournament structure where every team makes post-season play, Sobolewski led the ISU 12-straight tournament appearances, the second longest streak in the Big Sky during the same time period.   In 2016, Idaho State finished ninth in Big Sky play with an 8-10 record with nine games decided by five points or less. Three Bengals finished in the top 15 in scoring (Apiphany Woods, 11th; Brooke Blair, 14th; Anna Policicchio, 15th), while Policicchio led the league and ranked 24th in the country in blocked shots with 2.7 per contest.   The Bengals had a memorable post-season run, knocking off No. 1 Montana State in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament off a last-second three from Juliet Jones. ISU advanced to the championship of the BSC tournament for the first time since 2012 and the fifth time in school history, losing to No. 3 Idaho 67-55. Both Policicchio and Blair earned All-Tournament honors.   The Bengals returned to the Big Sky conference tournament in 2015 and lost to tournament host and eventual champion Montana 69-67 in the quarterfinals. ISU boasted two all-conference selections in 2015 as senior guard Apiphany Woods was selected as the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year and sophomore Megan Hochstein was one of three players to be named the Big Sky Conference Top Reserve. In 2014, ISU fell to tournament host and eventual Big Sky Tournament Champion North Dakota 78-53 in the tournament semifinals after defeating Eastern Washington 70-65 (OT) in the quarterfinals of the 2014 tournament.   In 2013 Sobolewski led the Idaho State to the second straight postseason tournament. The Bengals were awarded an at-large bid to the WNIT. It was ISUs first trip to the WNIT and the first since 2008. The Bengals lost to BYU 69-54 in the first-round.    In 2012 Sobolewski led the Bengals to their third regular-season and Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship. Under his leadership, ISU made its third trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history, facing the Miami Hurricanes in the first round. The 2012 season was Sobolewsis most successful. He accumulated 24 overall wins, the second most wins in a single season in program history. His 14 conference victories during the same season is also the second most conference wins in a single season in program history. His success during the season earned him his first Big Sky Coach of the Year honors.   Since his first season, Sobolewski has helped the Bengals continuously improve its win total and for the sixth straight season posted a winning conference record.   During the 2010-11 season the Bengals opened with a 10-game home win streak and finished 12-1 for the year.  Over the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Sobolewskis Bengals held a 14-game home win streak, the second longest in school history.   In 2011, Sobolewski led the Bengals to an 18-12 record for the third most wins in a single season in Idaho State school history.  The Bengals also defeated Utah for the first time in school history.   He led the Bengals to a three-way second place tie in the Big Sky regular season with a 10-6 record during the 2009-10 season.  He led the Bengals to a .500 overall record (15-15) and helped Idaho State make its 12th Big Sky championship appearance.  He led the Bengals to 15 victories to tie for the sixth most victories in a single season at Idaho State.   In his first season Sobolewski helped the Bengals to a fourth-place finish in the Big Sky regular season where ISU had a near upset of Montana in the Big Sky semifinal tournament game.   Sobolewski has had 22 of his players earn Big Sky all-academic honors.  In his first season Michelle Grohs was named first team all-conference and Jenna Brown was named second team all-conference.  The following year Oana Iacovita was unanimously selected first team all-conference while Andrea Videbeck earned honorable mention.  Under Sobolewskis direction Iacovita earned back-to-back Big Sky all-tournament team honors and was named by the Big Sky as the conference honoree for the NCAA Woman of the Year. In 2011-12 Lindsey Reed and Ashleigh Vella were named to the Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team and Chelsea Pickering was named tournament MVP. Reed was again named to the Big Sky All-Tournament team in 2013-14. Sobolewski has also had 11 players named all-conference, the most recent with Reed and Jessica Tingey in 2013-14. Reed was named to the first team while Tingey earned second team honors.   In coming to Idaho State, Sobolewski took over one of the top programs in the Big Sky Conference, as the Bengals have qualified for the postseason seven times in the past twelve seasons, winning regular season titles in 2001, 2006 and 2012 winning the conference tournament in 2001, 2007 and 2012, advancing to the NCAA Tournament all three seasons. The Bengals have also qualified for the WNIT in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2013.   Before Idaho State, Sobolewski was a major part of UC Riversides success as a Division I program that won a Big West regular season title, two Big West Tournament titles, made two NCAA appearances, and nearly upset No. 8 Arizona State in the 2007 NCAA tournament. The last four of those years were spent serving under John Margaritis, who was a former associate head coach at Northern Arizona.   While serving as recruiting coordinator at UC Riverside, Sobolewski recruited and coached 2007 Big West Conference player of the year Kemie Nkele. The players brought in during his time as recruiting coordinator earned one Big West Conference player of the year award, one freshman of the year award, one defensive player of the year award, three Big West Conference tournament MVP awards, four All-Big West tournament awards, five first team All-Big West Conference awards, three second team All-Big West Conference awards, seven honorable mention All-Big West Conference awards, five All-Big West freshman team awards, eight Big West Conference player of the week awards, and three Big West academic all-conference award winners. These awards were won over three seasons.   Sobolewski served one year as an assistant with the mens program at Yavapai Junior College where the team advanced to the region tournament after going 19-12 for the year. In 2000-01, Sobolewski served as an assistant with the girls basketball program at Coconino High School in Flagstaff where he served under Head Coach Jenny Shayani.  Coconino improved nine games that year to 15-12 overall.   Sobolewski attended Eastern Arizona College, starting on the mens basketball team for two years from 1995-97.  He then moved to Oklahoma Panhandle State University a Division II school in Goodwell, Okla., where he played from 1997-99. In 1998, he was selected to Whos Who in Americas Colleges and Universities. A 2001 graduate of Northern Arizona University with a bachelor of sciences degree in biology with an emphasis in secondary education, Sobolewski got his start by serving as a manager under former NAU Head Coach Meg Sanders for the 1999-2000 season.   The Bengal head coach hails from Flagstaff, Ariz. where his parents reside. He is married to the former Katie Haan of Upland, Calif.  They have two daughters, Aubrey (4) and Emery (1).    

Van Vliet, who was then known as Vella is an ISU Alumnus who played a pivotal role in the Bengals’ 2012 Big Sky Championship season and has spent the interim honing her knowledge playing the highest levels of basketball and coaching.    "I'm extremely excited to join the ISU staff as an assistant coach, remarked van Vliet. “For me it's a full circle moment. Coming to ISU as a teenager to play and now coming back with my family to coach. I can't wait to bring all my experience and knowledge back to the place that boosted my career. Coach Sobolewski and I have always had a great relationship and he has always been a mentor to me. I'm grateful for this opportunity to coach at my alma mater."   Van Vliet brings strong playing experience to the Bengal coaching staff. From 2009 to 2023, van Vliet has been a presence on the Malta National women’s basketball team as a point guard and power forward. In her time, she has competed in 13 national tournaments, won four gold and five bronze medals and represented the country in its first international 3x3 appearance.    "Ash was my very first recruit when I came to ISU 17 years ago and she helped set the tone for where we are at today,” remarked Head Women’s Basketball Coach Seton Sobolewski. “ She helped us to the 2012 Big Sky championship and two post season bids. She has always had a great basketball mind and I'm glad she will be joining our team again. Ash brings a wealth of experience from playing professionally overseas and with the Malta national team."   From 2015-17, van Vliet played in the French professional league for the Tregueux Cote d’Armour where she helped the team in their promotion from NF2 to NF1.    From 2019-23, van Vliet also played for the Hibernians in Malta, winning a regular season championship in 2021-22. She was named the MAPFRE MSV Life Knockout trophy winner in 2022.   Van Vliet has also spent her entire career past Idaho State coaching, starting as a community coach in Durham, United Kingdom in 2013. She has coached at Sacre Coueur High School in Tregueux, France, Tregueux Cote D’Armour, where she won the Cup D’Bretagne and was the Head Coach of Hibernian U/23 and U/19 squads in Malta.    In 2023, van Vliet retired to the United States and accepted the Head Coaching position at Lighthouse Christian School in Twin Falls, Idaho. Van Vliet also coached the Magic Valley Basketball Club u15 and u16 AAU teams.    Van Vliet has worked since 2023 as the IMPACT director of the Magic Valley basketball Club overseeing operations and camps for the organization.   In 2024, she accepted a position coaching at Twin Falls high school leading the JC squad to a 14-5 (7-1) record. In her time playing at Idaho State, she was a four-year starter scoring 1,341 points and grabbing 751 rebounds. She earned Big Sky honorable mention twice and was named 2nd team all-Big Sky in the 2012-13 season. As a junior she helped lead the Bengals to an NCAA tournament spot and as a senior a WNIT bid. In 2020, she was named to the Idaho State women's basketball All-Decade team. 

Sydney, a San Jose, CA native, has joined the Bengals as a Graduate Assistant.   Previously Bourland was on the Cal Poly SLO Women’s Basketball team for 4 years (2021-2025). As a 3 year starter and team Captain, the Mustangs got a bid to the WNIT(2023-2024) for the first time in 10 years. All 3 years eligible, Sydney earned Big West All-Academic Honors. In the 2025 season, she surpassed 500 career rebounds, placing her top 20 in program history. Bourland’s career statistics were 5.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.   During her free time Sydney coached a local AAU team CC Fire. Along with that she spent time doing individual/group workouts with local middle school and high school kids as well.   Sydney completed her bachelors of Business Administration concentrating in Finance from Cal Poly and graduated in 2025. At Idaho State, she is in the Master of Arts in Athletic Administration program.   She is the daughter of Kathy and Rob Bourland and has a younger brother, Tyler.