GAME NOTES

CHENEY, Wash. – For the final time this season, the Eastern Washington University volleyball teams will host a pair of games at Reese Court. The Eagles host local foe Idaho on Friday, March 12 at 4 p.m. and again on Saturday, March 13 at 2 p.m. with both games broadcasted on Pluto TV Ch. 1053.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Washington looks to bounce back after a pair of losses at Sacramento State last weekend. The Eagles were swept by the Hornets in game one, but battled to a five-set loss in the second game. Catelyn Linke had another two solid performances at the libero spot, tallying 5.38 digs per set in two games. Ashlyn Blotzer hit .326 with 19 total kills and Ana Paula Zandona picked up consecutive double-doubles including a career-best 18 digs in game two. Additionally, Renata Lopez Morales helped the Eagles out-block Sacramento State in game two, 12 to 10, with a career-best seven blocks. Eastern out-hit, .161 to .141, and out-dug, the Hornets 92 to 78 in game two. Prior to Sunday's contest, Sacramento State had only dropped two sets all season on its own home floor.
 
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington sits at 5-8 overall with a 4-8 mark in Big Sky Conference play to rank eighth in the standings. If the season were to end today, the Eagles would advance to the conference tournament, a feat they are looking to accomplish for the first time since the 2016 season.
 
Three Eagles average over two kills per set, led by redshirt-sophomore Maya McClellan with 2.64. Blotzer is seventh in the Big Sky in hitting percentage, swinging at a .285 clip with 2.15 kills per set. Freshman Sage Brustad is second on the team with 2.46 kills per set.
 
Linke is third in the Big Sky in digs per set, averaging 4.78 with 263 total. The senior has been steadily climbing Eastern Washington's all-time digs list and moved into sixth after the games at Sacramento State. She now has 1,206 career digs and is just 92 away from fifth. Linke also leads the team in service aces per set with .24 and has 13 on the year.
 
Ana Paula Zandona has been handling the setting duties lately for the Eagles. She is eighth in the Big Sky with 6.39 assists per set and has earned double-doubles in her last two matches and she also averages 1.67 digs per set to go with 60 on the year.
 
Blotzer leads the team in blocks per set with .69 and Lopez Morales follows closely with .65.
 
As a team, the Eagles swing at a .175 clip with 10.9 kills per set. They also average 9.8 assists, 1.2 aces, 1.7 blocks and rank fifth in the conference with 15.1 digs per set.
 
A LOOK AT THE VANDALS: Idaho is just above the Eagles in the standings with a 4-6 Big Sky record and 5-7 overall to rank seventh. The Vandals are also on a two-match losing streak after being swept by Montana State on March 7 and home and then falling to the Bobcats the next day in five sets.
 
Idaho leads the conference in blocks with 2.71 per set. They swing at a .195 clip which is fifth in the Big Sky with 11.96 kills per set. They hold their opponents to just a .186 hitting percentage which is fourth in the conference. The Vandals are last in the Big Sky with .87 service aces per frame.
 
Kennedy Warren leads the Vandals as is fifth in the conference with 3.56 kills per set while Nicole Ball is fourth in hitting percentage (.319) and is second in blocks (1.39/set). Two Vandals are in the top-ten in the conference in digs per set in Becca Owen (8^th, 3.57) and Alaina Lacey (3.25).
 
SERIES HISTORY: On Friday, the Eagles will look to snap a seven-match losing streak to the Vandals, which is their longest against any Big Sky opponent. In the last 10 matches, EWU is only 2-8.
 
The Eagles trail the all-time series, 20-39, and are 10-17 all-time against the Vandals at Reese Court.
 
Eastern's last win over Idaho came on Oct. 15, 2016 in a five-set win in Moscow. It has not beaten the Vandals at home since Oct. 3, 2015 in a three-set sweep at Reese Court.
 
UP NEXT: Eastern Washington closes the regular season at Southern Utah on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20. First serve is set for 6 p.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time, respectively, in Cedar City, Utah on Pluto TV Ch. 1055.