With the non-conference slate in the rearview mirror, the Eastern Washington University volleyball team now turns its sights to Big Sky Conference play, which gets underway this week. The Eagles head to Cedar City, Utah, to take on the Thunderbirds on Thursday, Sept. 23 before traveling to Flagstaff, Ariz., for a Sept. 25 matchup at Northern Arizona. First serves are set for 5 p.m. and 12 p.m. Pacific time, respectively.
 
Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+. Southern Utah will have live stats available here, and Northern Arizona's can be found here. For more information on how to watch ESPN+ this season, click here.
 
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington finished the non-conference slate 4-4 overall with wins over Portland, St. Thomas, Prairie View A&M and Seattle. Most recently, the Eagles hosted their first-ever regular season tournament inside Reese Court where they lost to CSU Bakersfield in four sets, but bounced back to beat in-state foe Seattle in five.
 
Ashlyn Blotzer was named to the EWU Volleyball Classic All-Tournament team. She is currently second on the team with 2.03 kills per set and is swinging at a .388 clip which ranks second overall in the Big Sky. Freshman Sadie Bacon is averaging 1.96 kills per set and ranks sixth overall in the conference with a .288 clip. Maya McClellan is the team leader in kills with 2.50 per set and her .284 hitting percentage ranks eighth in the Big Sky. Together, the trio has helped Eastern hit .222 overall as a team so far this season which is second in the conference behind Montana (.226).
 
Both Lindsey Russell and Ellie Garrett have split the setting duties this season. Russell averages 5.26 assists per frame which is 10^th overall in the Big Sky, and Garrett is not far behind with 4.40 assists per set.
 
Russell leads the team with 10 service aces overall. Makenna Collins has nine to average .35 per set which is ninth in the conference, and Sage Brustad ranks eighth with eight total.
 
Defensively, Collins leads the way for the Eagles with 3.00 digs per set, followed by Sophia Spoja (2.69) and Sage Brustad (2.09). Bacon averages .79 blocks per set followed by Blotzer with .50.
 
Eastern Washington ranks fourth as a team in kills per set (12.29) and are third in service aces per set (1.71).
 
A LOOK AT THE THUNDERBIRDS: Southern Utah is 4-8 overall after a non-conference slate that saw them face No. 15 BYU, UNLV, Utah State and Boise State. They collected wins over Long Island University, George Mason, New Orleans and Dixie State. The Thunderbirds were picked to finish in a tie for seventh in the Big Sky Preseason Poll while the Eagles were picked ninth.
 
Southern Utah hits at a clip of .132 with 10.20 kills per set. They also add 9.16 assists, 13.43 digs and 1.49 service aces per set, but rank second overall in the conference at the net with 2.22 blocks per frame. Corrin Peterson leads the way for SUU with 5.69 assists per set which is seventh in the BSC, while Molly McDermott is the team-leader with .37 service aces per set to rank fifth. The Thunderbirds also boast two players who rank in the top-ten in blocks per set while Calli Johnson is second in the conference with 3.96 digs per set.
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Eagles will head to Cedar City looking to snap a three-match losing streak to the Thunderbirds, all of which have come on the road. The series is tied 7-7 overall, but Eastern Washington hasn't won in Cedar City since Oct. 1, 2015 as the Eagles have dropped five-straight in Cedar City.
 
Eastern Washington completed the regular season on the road against Southern Utah last year, falling by scores of 1-3 and 2-3. Head coach Leslie Flores-Cloud is 1-4 all-time against the Thunderbirds.
 
A LOOK AT THE LUMBERJACKS: Northern Arizona, who was picked second in the preseason poll, sits at just 2-7 overall, but have played a tough non-conference schedule with matches against Florida State, LSU and Arizona State. The Lumberjacks have collected wins over New Mexico and UC Davis.
 
NAU has two players that average over three kills per set in Taylor Jacobsen (3.45) and Lyla Hollis (3.22). Aubrea Bandfield and Kate Hatch have handled the setting duties, averaging 5.06 assists and 4.47 assists per set, respectively. Millie O'Ketter ranks ninth in the conference with 3.14 digs per frame.
 
As a team, Northern Arizona hits at a .200 clip with 11.8 kills per set.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Eastern Washington leads the all-time series over the Lumberjacks, 37-32, but have lost five-straight. On the road in Flagstaff, the Eagles are 16-17 overall. Much like the series with the Thunderbirds, this will be Eastern's fourth-straight game against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz. They'll look for their first road victory against NAU since Oct. 5, 2017, and a win would also be the first for Flores-Cloud over the foes.
 
UP NEXT: The Big Sky home opener is set for Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. PT against Sacramento State at Reese Court. The following evening (Oct. 1), the Eagles welcome Portland State to town for a 6 p.m. first serve.