STARKVILLE, Miss. --The Eastern Washington volleyball team dropped its first match of the 2016 season, as they fell 3-0 (13-25, 15-25, 21-25) to No. 5-ranked Kansas in the Eagles second contest of the Bulldog Invitational on Saturday morning.
Eastern could not care over its offensive efficiency from last night's, Aug. 26, season-opening victory over Lamar, as the Eagles hit just .010 against a Jayhawks team that was coming off an appearance in the 2015 Final Four. However, EWU did improve its offensive strategy in each set against KU, as the team increased both its hitting percentage and point total in each set through the duration of the match.
Head coach Michael King found his squad down 2-0 going into the break. The head man was able to rally his team in the locker room, as Eastern went toe-to-toe with the No. 5-ranked team in the nation in the third, and eventual final, set. The Eagles scored the first three points of set number three and that lead would stay intact through nearly the first 20 points of the set, as Eastern held a 10-9 advantage. From that point Kansas rolled off the next three points to take a 15-12 lead and force an Eastern Washington timeout. The Eagles continued to make the Jayhawks work for every point in the third set, but eventually fell 25-21 to drop the match in straight sets.
"We played well at times, but we needed our serve and pass game to be a little better for us to pick off a few more points," said King. "Not only is Kansas a solid team, but they served very well and that put pressure on us. We got better every set, and I was happy with how we responded to the challenge throughout the match.
Won-Loss Records: Saturday's loss puts the Eagles at an even 1-1 on the year. As for the No. 5-ranked Jayhawks, they move to 2-0 and win the Bulldog Invitational with one match remaining. They defeated Mississippi State in straight sets last night, and play Lamar later this evening, who Eastern Washington beat last night in three sets.
What It Means: This morning's loss puts Eastern Washington in a must-win situation later this afternoon if they want to leave Starkville with a winning record. That task will be tall however, as the Eagles will play host school Mississippi State at 5 p.m. PT.
Keys to the Game: Kansas used its height advantage over the Eagles to earn a 9-1 edge in total blocks. The Jayhawks also landed nine service aces, while Eastern only collected four. KU, who was one of the most efficient offensive teams in the nation last season, demonstrated its efficiency on Saturday by hitting .301 for the match.
Top Performers: Cheney, Washington native Ashley Seiler had a career match against the No. 5 team in the nation, as she collected a career-best 10 digs in the loss. She also led Eastern Washington in kills with seven and landed one of Eastern's four service aces on the morning.
Kimberly Brinkworth tied her career-high in kills for the second-straight match with three. She also hit a team-best .286 against Kansas.
Sophomore Fernanda Vido recorded six kills and collected five digs in the loss.
Key Stats: Eastern Washington held a 50-37 advantage in digs over the fifth-ranked Jayhawks. Libero Megan LaFond led the way for Eastern with 12 digs. She was one of two players to post double-digits in the dig category, as Ashley Seiler added a career-best 10.
Turning Point: Kansas' height proved to be difficult to handle on Saturday morning, as they were able to get Eastern off the rhythm they established against Lamar last night. The Jayhawks used that defensive advantage to limit Eastern to a -.062 hitting percentage in the first set.
Team Highlights: The Eagles would show a huge improvement the third set, as they hit a match-best .189 in the frame. Eastern, who had dropped both of the previous sets by double digits, pushed the No. 5-ranked team in the country in the final frame, as they held a 10-9 lead midway through the set before falling 25-21, fighting off two match points in the process.
Notables: Junior Ashley Seiler collected a career-best 10 digs in the match.
Junior libero Megan LaFond led the team in digs for the second-straight match. The Vancouver, Washington native has now led Eastern in digs through both contests this season. She had 11 digs in last night's victory over Lamar.
Freshman Katie Mahoney picked up two kills in her collegiate debut.
Sophomore Regan Harr posted a new career-high in digs with eight.
Senior setter Sophie Miller was just two digs shy from Eastern's first double-double of the season, as she collected a team-best 18 assists and eight digs.
Tweet of the Game:
What's Next: Eastern Washington will play its third and final match of the weekend at 5 p.m. this afternoon, Aug. 27, against host school Mississippi State. The match will be streamed lived nationwide on the Watch ESPN App. Fans can download the Watch ESPN App in their ITunes or Google Play store. Your television provider login information may be required to watch the stream.
For more information on the Eastern Washington volleyball team, follow @EWUVolleyball on Twitter or like Eastern Washington Volleyball on Twitter.
