CHENEY, Wash. – The 2020 Eastern Washington University volleyball schedule looks different than years past, but it is set with hopeful plans to play, as announced by head coach Leslie Flores-Cloud on Monday (July 6). The schedule, including all dates, times and locations is subject to change amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.  
 
This season a non-conference home tournament hosted by Eastern Washington at Reese Court is on the schedule for the first time in program history. The Big Sky Conference format also looks different – as each team will play eight conference opponents on consecutive days during the fall with the top-four teams advancing to the conference tournament. This is different than the round-robin conference season of the past where each team faced each other home and away on different weeks with the top-eight teams advancing to the tournament.
 
"I am excited to finally have a home tournament here at Reese Court. COVID-19 has definitely changed a lot of our matches, but we are all really excited for what we have lined up," said Flores-Cloud, who is beginning her third season at the helm with the Eagles.
 
Eastern Washington officially begins the 2020 season on Aug. 28-29 in Moscow, Idaho for a tournament hosted by Big Sky opponent, Idaho. The Eagles will take on Portland and Grand Canyon over two days of competition. EWU is 6-5 all-time against the Pilots, but haven't faced off since 2014. This is the second-straight season the Eagles have played Grand Canyon and look to bounce back after a three-set loss to the Lopes last year on the road.
 
Over Labor Day weekend, the Eagles host a seven-match, six-team tournament over three days. EWU welcomes Dixie State, Air Force, North Dakota and Montana State to Reese Court from Sept. 3-5. The four schools, in addition to Idaho, will also play in Spokane over those three days, as the Eagles are co-hosting with Gonzaga.
 
The Eagles open up the first day of competition on Sept. 3 with a match against Dixie State in the morning before hosting Air Force to end the evening. On Saturday, Sept. 4, Eastern Washington faces a familiar foe in North Dakota. The tournament is capped on Sept. 5 when the Eagles play a non-conference match against Montana State. To see the neutral site matches, click HERE.
 
Non-conference play ends on Sept. 10-12 in Bozeman, Mont., for a tournament hosted by Montana State. Eastern Washington faces the hosts in another non-conference match on Sept. 10 before wrapping up on Sept. 12 against Utah State.
 
The Big Sky Conference portion of the season opens on the road at Weber State where the Eagles take on the Wildcats on Sept. 24 and 25.
 
Eastern Washington then returns home for four-straight matches over two weeks, first beginning with the defending Big Sky Champions, Northern Colorado, on Oct. 1 and 2. The following week, Sept. 9-10, the Eagles play host to Portland State.
 
The Eagles then alternate between home and away for the final four weeks of the season. After taking on Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Oct. 15 and 16, Eastern Washington is back at Reese Court to face Montana (Oct. 22-23). The last time the Eagles and the Griz clashed in Cheney in 2019, EWU walked away with a hard-fought, five-set, victory.
 
It's back on the road to take on Sacramento State on Nov. 6-7 for the first time since last season when the Eagles upset the Hornets in five-sets for just the program's sixth victory on the road in Sacramento.
 
Eastern Washington returns home for the final time in 2020 to play Idaho on Sept. 12 and then again on Sept. 14 for Senior Day.
 
The regular season concludes in Cedar City, Utah, on Nov. 19 and 20 to play Southern Utah. The Eagles and the Thunderbirds battled last season and split the series, each picking up a win on their own home floor.
 
The top-four teams then advance to the Big Sky Conference Tournament, hosted by Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., on Nov. 25-25.
 
Eastern Washington finished 6-24 overall last season (4-14 BSC). They return nine players from last season while welcoming eight newcomers.
 
To view the 2020 schedule in its entirety, click HERE. Additional game times and further schedule updates will be announced at a later date.