Eastern Washington volleyball earned its second straight win on Friday night, with a 3-1[25-17, 25-19, 14-25, 25-19] win over Idaho. The Eagles had balanced scoring, with Sage Brustad recording a game-high, 18 kills, and Alyssa Radke adding 13.

"I was really pleased with how we fought several times throughout those long rallies, and we just kept battling," head coach Jon Haruguchi said. "We talked with them this week about competing. To see us come out in the third set and struggle. Then come out in the fourth set, and turn it back on. I couldn't be prouder. I think every single night we are going to have to battle and grind. You've seen this league. Any given night it could go a different way. That is exciting for us."

"I have been working really hard in practice about swinging high and aiming for the edges of the court. I really felt that paid off tonight," outside hitter Alyssa Radke said. "I was able to hit the edges and over the block. For blocking, I have been working about pushing over with my hands. To be able to do that was really helpful. Having people push me in practice and by the coaching staff; it paid off."

Eastern took control in the first set early with a 6-3 lead. Radke led the attack with two kills to get the early separation. Leading 9-6, the Eagles pulled away from the Vandals with a 9-3 stretch to lead 18-9. Brustad fired in four kills to drive the run. Eastern continued to score well with Radke and Brustad taking turns. The Eagles went on to win the set 25-17 and were up 1-0 in the game.

Eastern had a commanding first set with a .448 attack percentage, while Idaho hit .259.

In the second set, the score was tight early, with both teams finding the scoring lanes. Idaho picked up a pair of aces to keep the Eagles off balance. Brustad continued to score and Ka'ehukaiiha'amaina'e Keala provided another offensive option. With the score tied at 13, Eastern ripped off a 7-0 run to take command of the set. Radke and Brustad each had two kills, while Lindsey Russell had one kill and a block assist with Renata Lopez Morales. The Eagles cruised to a 25-19 set win and had a 2-0 lead in the game.

The Eagles continued to hit well, recording a .353 attack percentage. Idaho was limited to a .091 stat line.

The Vandals came out of the break firing in the third set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead. They would then extend their advantage to 10-3. Idaho's lead would swell to 15-5, as the Eastern attack could not get in rhythm. The third set ended with a 25-14 Vandals win, and the Eagles lead was cut to 2-1 in the game.

Eastern's offense sputtered with a -.133-attack percentage, while Idaho hit .300 in the set.

Now in the fourth set, the Eagles looked to avoid a fifth and close out the game. The start of the set was another close contest, as the teams tied five times and ended up in a 10-10 knot. The Vandals raced ahead with a quick 4-0 run to move closer to continuing the game. Eastern responded with its own 4-0 burst behind two kills from Brustad. After trading points the Eagles got in front of Idaho with Sadie Bacon serving. Bacon notched an ace during a 3-0 run and Eastern had the advantage. The Eagles separated with Russell serving in a 5-0 run. Radke and Tanai Jenkins had back-to-back blocks to fuel the run and push Idaho. Eastern won the fourth set, 25-19, and earned the 3-1 game victory. The Eagles hit .192 in the final frame, while the Vandals hit .129.

Overall, Eastern had a .202 attack percentage in the game and Idaho hit .207.

Eastern Washington improves to 3-3 in the Big Sky and 8-10 overall. Idaho falls to 0-6 in the conference and 3-15 overall. 

Key Statistics
Sage Brustad had her eighth game this season with 15 or more kills and hit .275 for the game. Brustad added seven digs and one service ace.

Eastern had six different players record aces on Friday. Sadie Bacon and Ka'ehukaiiha'amaina'e Keala each had two aces on the night.

Alyssa Radke hit .267 in the game and had her 11^th double-digit kill game.

Keala earned seven kills and had 11 digs, while hitting .150. 

Eastern and Vandals each had 8.0 blocks, with six Eagles recording blocks. Radke led the game with four block assists and one solo.

Lindsey Russell finished with 37 assists and four kills. It was Russell's 13^th game with 30 or more assists this season.

Makenna Collins recorded a game-high 12 digs and it was her 10^th, double-digit dig game this season.

Up Next
Eastern Washington will travel next week for two games, starting with a matchup against Northern Arizona on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time. The Eagles then travel to play Northern Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.