Match Notes | Online Media Guide

Cheney, Wash. – Still in the running for a spot in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, the Eastern Washington University women's volleyball team will close out its regular season with a pair of league matches this week at Reese Court.

Eastern opens the week against Northern Colorado on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 pm PT before squaring off with North Dakota on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6 pm PT.

Despite suffering defeats at Northern Arizona and Idaho this past week, EWU (9-18, 5-9 BSC) remains in the hunt for one of the eight bids to the upcoming conference tournament. The Eagles are tied for eighth place in the league standings with Southern Utah, but the Thunderbirds own the head-to-head tiebreaker, having beaten Eastern in five sets back on Oct. 2.

Idaho State has clinched the right to host the tournament while North Dakota, Idaho, Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado have secured their tickets to the tournament.

Montana and Portland State are the other two teams best positioned to make the tournament as they currently sit tied for sixth with identical 6-8 league marks.

Montana hosts Idaho State and Montana State this week while Portland State plays at home against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. SUU also plays at Sacramento State.

Northern Colorado (17-9, 10-4 BSC) enters Thursday's match having won 10 of its last 12 matches after losing to Eastern in five sets back on Sept. 27. UNC leads the Big Sky in kills per set, averaging 13.65 kills per set as a team, highlighted by Kendra Cunningham's average of 3.09 kills per set.

North Dakota (23-8, 11-3 BSC) is currently on a five-match winning streak, allowing its opponents to win just three total sets in that span. UND is limiting its opponents to a .158 hitting percentage on the year, good for the second-lowest in the Big Sky, while leading the league with an average of 17.50 digs per set. Lexi Robinson (2.70 k/s) leads a balanced North Dakota offensive attack that features three players averaging more than two digs per set.

UND won this season's previous meeting over the Eagles in four sets back on Sept. 25.