Forget this "nothing to play for" business.

Already locked into the No. 3 seed for next week's Region 18 Tournament in Salt Lake City, the College of Southern Idaho volleyball team still didn't need much help with motivation Saturday.

Sixth-ranked CSI blitzed visiting Salt Lake Community College in the first set and the early stages of the second before settling in and grinding out a 25-12, 25-21, 26-28, 25-21 victory over the fourth-ranked team in the nation to send six sophomores out with a win in their final home match.

"This was an emotional match, and the freshmen really made a big deal out of sophomore weekend," said Australian right-side-hitting sophomore Jessica Peacock, who had a 14-kill, 17-dig double-double to lead the CSI charge. "There was a lot of emotion for us, and we always want to beat Salt Lake even when the outcome doesn't really matter."

Peacock and sophomores Samantha Misa and Torrey Hulsey oftimes carried the load for CSI (25-5, 7-3 Scenic West) in the match.

Hulsey was a force inside offensively and defensively in the first set and into the second, finishing with nine kills and eight blocks (two solo). Misa had two of her 11 kills at the most important juncture of the match, lifting the team intensity and desire at 20-18 in the fourth set.

"That's what Sam is brilliant at is bringing that fire when we need it and lifting the whole team up," said Peacock. "It makes it a lot easier for the rest of the team when we've got that lift."

For as well as CSI played early, the Golden Eagles began to plateau and ultimately descend back to earth. They wasted four match points in the third set, and it took four more in the fourth to settle the match.

It took a Salt Lake service error to finally clinch it for CSI, but coach Heidi Cartisser was clearly happy to take the final point no matter how it came.

"Any big match win does wonders for our confidence," said Cartisser, whose team thumped Salt Lake two days after the Bruins hammered national No. 1 North Idaho in Coeur d'Alene, setting up a thrilling three-way race at the region tourney for 1 1/2 national tournament berths.

"Next week is going to be a clean slate, but I do like that we've played well and beaten a great team going into the tournament. Now we've just got to get this team to start believing that it can win it all."