SACRAMENTO STATE GAME NOTES

CHENEY, Wash. – After opening the season with 12-straight matches on the road, the Eastern Washington University volleyball team is finally taking to Reese Court for two matches this week. Also serving as the beginning of Big Sky Conference play, the Eagles welcome Sacramento State to Cheney on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6:05 p.m. before hosting Portland State on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7:05 p.m.
 
THIS WEEK AT REESE: The first 100 students in attendance for Thursday's match against Sacramento State receive free Rosa's pizza. Friday's match against Portland State is Alumni Night for the volleyball program. All alumni will be recognized in addition to honoring 2019 Eastern Washington Hall of Fame inductee and 2004 Big Sky Player of the Year, Keva Sonderen, between the second and third sets.
 
All regular season home matches at Reese Court are complimentary to the general public and students.
 
HOW TO WATCH: Both matches will be streamed for free on WatchBigSky.com or on Pluto TV Ch. 534. Live stats can be found on EWUStats.com in addition to play-by-play and live, in-game, highlights on Twitter, @EWUVB.
 
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington finished the non-conference season with an overall record of 2-10. Their two wins came in five-set thrillers against Cal Baptist (Aug. 31) and Milwaukee (Sept. 6). The Eagles closed preseason at the UND Classic where they battled North Dakota to a five-set loss before dropping in straight-sets to Akron the following day.
 
The Eagles are led offensively by two freshmen, Nicoletta Capizzi and Ka'ehukaiiha'amaina'e Keala who average 1.87 and 1.86 kills per set, respectively. Additionally, Capizzi leads the team with a .245 hitting percentage and ranks second on the team with .62 blocks per set while Keala is third with .45/set.
 
Puaoolelagi Sao ranks 87^th nationally with 4.49 digs per set, which also leads the Eagles and ranks third in the conference. She has 202 digs total on the season which is 83^rd in the nation. Through not even two full seasons as an Eagle, the junior has 610 total digs which is 362 away from cracking EWU's top-ten list in career digs. She totaled 404 as a sophomore.
 
Sophomore Ashlyn Blotzer leads the team with .33 aces per set. She has also totaled 33 blocks on the season and leads the Eagles with .73 per set. Ana Paula Zandona paces EWU with 7.09 assists per set which is ninth in the conference. She also has 15 service aces to rank eighth in the Big Sky.
 
A LOOK AT THE HORNETS: Sacramento State ended the non-conference season with a 5-8 overall record, which is currently sixth in the Big Sky standings. The Hornets closed preseason at the Wildcat Classic in Tucson, Ariz., where they beat New Mexico (3-2) and Alabama State (3-0) but fell to Arizona (3-1).
 
Sacramento State swings at a .168 clip with 11.5 kills, 2.09 blocks, 1.08 aces, 10.40 assists and 15.08 digs per set. The Hornets rank 53^rd in the nation with 754 total digs as a team and 61^st with 104.5 total blocks.
 
Sarah Davis leads the Hornets and ranks 76th nationally with 3.80 kills per set, which also leads the Big Sky. She also has 17 service aces on the season which is 92^nd in the nation. Her 190 total kills rank 25^th.
 
Ashtin Olin leads the team with 7.73 assists per set while Paige Swinney adds 3.81 digs.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Thursday night marks the 54^th all-time meeting between the two squads, with Eastern trailing the all-time series, 17-36. At Reese Court, the teams are an even 12-12.
 
The Eagles will look to snap a five-game skid to the Hornets, as they dropped both meetings last season in straight sets and have not topped Sacramento State since Oct. 8, 2015.
 
A LOOK AT THE VIKINGS: Portland State sits at 4-7 after the non-conference slate, which is seventh in the Big Sky standings. The Vikings lost to Portland at home, 3-1 on Sept. 19, but then topped Portland 3-1 on the road on Sept. 21 to close non-conference play. Portland State plays at Idaho on Sept. 26 before coming to Cheney.
 
As a team, the Vikings limit their opponents to a hitting percentage of just .194 which is fourth in the Big Sky. They are third in the conference, and 55^th in the nation, in blocks per set with 2.4. The Vikings also rank second in the Big Sky and 56^th nationally with 15.88 digs per set.
 
Ellie Snook ranks 61^st in the nation and second in the conference with 4.67 digs per set, totaling 201 on the year. Jordan White is the conference leader with 44 total blocks.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Eastern Washington narrowly trails Portland State 27-29 in the all-time series, including a 15-11 edge over the Vikings at Reese Court. However, the Eagles have dropped the last four meetings to the Vikings and have only won one out of the last 10 matchups.
 
Last season, the Eagles lost to Portland State 3-2 at home on Oct. 4 before losing 3-1 on Nov. 3 in Portland.
 
UP NEXT: Following this week, Eastern Washington hits the road again for more Big Sky play. The Eagles play at Montana on Oct. 3 and at Montana State on Oct. 5, with both matches set for 6 p.m. Pacific time.
 
Eastern Washington returns to Reese Court on Tuesday, Oct. 8, to host Idaho.