SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Eastern Washington University volleyball team could not end their four-match Big Sky Conference road trip on a high note, as the Eagles loss at Sacramento State 3-0 (17-25, 20-25, 20-25) on Saturday, Oct. 22, night.
EWU got a pair of double-doubles from senior Sophie Miller and sophomore Ka'iulani Ahuna, as the duo continued their recent string of double-doubles on Saturday night. Miller handed out a team-best 25 assists, while adding 11 digs, to pick up her third-straight double-double. For Ahuna, she landed a team-best 10 kills, and matched Miller in the dig category, to earn her second double-double of the road trip and her ninth overall on the year.
Eastern's six-match streak of holding opponents under a .200 hitting percentage came to an end against Sacramento State, as the Hornets hit .217. Despite the streak coming to an end, the Eagles were able to match SSU in digs at 54-all. Junior Megan LaFond joined Miller and Ahuna in the double-digit dig category with a team-best 13.
The biggest difference in the stat sheet between the two teams came in service aces, as the Hornets landed six to Eastern's one. The Eagles also had eight servce aces, while SSU committed five.
"Sacramento State's serve and pass game out performed us tonight," said head coach Michael King. "They were very consistent throughout the entire match. We never found any real rhythm tonight. We had moments, but never put together a run of points."
Win-Loss Records: Tonight's loss puts EWU at an even 5-5 in the Big Sky, while they are now 10-9 overall. For Sacramento State, they improve to 13-11 on the year and 7-3 in conference games.
What It Means: The Eagles end their season-long four-match conference road trip at 1-3. Eastern is now at an even 4-4 in Big Sky play as they return to Reese Court to face Weber State and Idaho next week.
Key Stats: Sacramento State landed six aces, while Eastern Washington managed just one. The Hornets also hit .217 in the victory and limited EWU to a .132 hitting percentage.
Top Performers: Sophomore Ka'iulani Ahuna posted her second-straight double-double of the road trip with 10 kills and 11 digs. It is the ninth double-double on the year for Ahuna, which leads the team.
Senior Sophie Miller extended her double-digit assist streak to 19 matches, while she also added 11 digs to pick up her third-straight double-double on the road trip. Miller has now earned a double-double in seven of her last eight matches.
Junior Chloe Weber hit a match-best .750, as she landed seven of eight swings, while committing just one error.
Notables: Sacramento State improves to 32-17 against the Eagles in the all-time series and snapped a two-match losing streak against Eastern Washington.
Eastern's six-match streak of holding opponents below a .200 hitting percentage came to an end, as the Hornets hit .217 on the night.
The Eagles fall to 3-6 in road matches this season, while they are now 8-7 on the year in matches away from Reese Court.
What's Next: Eastern Washington returns home for a quick two-match home stand against Weber State and rival Idaho. The Eagles will play on back-to-back nights next week, as they'll host the Wildcats on Thursday, Oct. 27, then the Vandals on Friday, Oct. 28. Thursday's match is set for a 6 p.m. PT start, while Friday's contest is slated for a 7 p.m. PT first serve.
For more information on the Eastern Washington volleyball team, follow @EWUVolleyball on Twitter or like EWU Volleyball on Facebook.
