Eastern Washington volleyball begins a three-game home stand this week as Big Sky play continues. Eastern will begin with Weber State who comes to Cheney on Thursday, Oct. 6 and the first serve is cheduled for 6 pm Pacific Time. The Eagles will then host Idaho State on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.

Last Time Out
This past week, Eastern played Idaho on the road, overpowering the Vandals in a 3-0 sweep[25-13, 25-16, 25-11]. In each set, the Eagles established a lead early and did not allow Idaho to get in any kind of consistency to threaten the Eastern advantage.

The Eagles had a .433 attack percentage and limited Idaho to a .064 percentage. Sage Brustad had a game-high 14 kills, while hitting an impressive .423. At the net, Eastern out blocked the Vandals, 9.0 to 2.0. Alyssa Radke and Sadie Bacon each added five block assists.

Scouting the Eagles
Eastern Washington is 1-2 in Big Sky games and 6-9 overall this season, holding a one-game winning streak. Eastern has served aggressively this season, racking up 105 service aces and averaging 1.81 aces per set. The figure leads the conference. There has been no shortage of offense for the Eagles this season, as the team averages 12.03 kills per set while hitting .208. The team has remained efficient on defense, averaging only 1.3 reception errors per set.

The offensive attack for Eastern is led by Sage Brustad who leads the team and ranks third in the conference with 3.76 kills per set. Brustad is also the top server in the Big Sky, with 0.48 aces per set and 28 total. Brustad is averaging 3.27 kills per set in the conference matches and has a .213 attack percentage on the season.

Lindsey Russell has been steady for the Eagles, averaging 9.61 assists per set to rank fourth in the conference, recording 548 total. Against Idaho, Russell had 32 assists and eclipsed 1500 for her career. She has 1512 career assists currently.

Sadie Bacon has developed into a key element of Eastern's team, averaging 2.00 kills per set and 0.33 aces per set, both are third best on the team. Her .327 attack percentage is the fourth best in the conference. Bacon is also a factor at the net, averaging 0.74 blocks per set, with 40 assists and three solo.

Central in the effort at the net, Renata Lopez Morales leads the team with 0.94 blocks per set. The senior has four solo blocks and 45 block assists this season.

Scouting the Wildcats
Weber State gets on the road with a 2-1 conference record and 8-6 overall. This past week, the Wildcats won a 3-1 game against Northern Arizona at home. They followed up with a 3-2 win over Idaho State in Pocatello. Weber St. excels on defense, ranking first in the conference in opponent hitting percentage, allowing only a .175 stat line. The Wildcats also lead in blocks, with 2.55 per set. The team is third on the conference with a .214 hitting percentage and fourth with 12.05 kills per set.

Freshman middle blocker Saane Katoa is top blocker for the Wildcats, averaging 1.21 per set to rank second in the conference, with four solo and 48 assists. Katoa is also second in the Big Sky with a .331 attack percentage, tallying 60 kills this season. Junior outside hitter Dani Richins leads the Wildcats with 2.71 kills per set and is hitting .172 this season.

Eastern has a 43-38 record against Weber State in program history but has dropped the last eight games. Weber topped the Eagles last season in Ogden, 3-0.

Scouting the Bengals
Idaho State has a 9-7 overall record and is 1-2 in Big Sky games coming into the game against Eastern. The Bengals were 0-2 last week, dropping the first game against Sacramento State, 0-3 on the road. Idaho St. would battle tough with Weber State in Pocatello, but ultimately lost, 2-3. The defense for the Bengals has been solid, limiting opponents to a .186 attack percentage, the third best mark in the conference.

Junior libero Asiah Sopoaga provides a strong reception presence for Idaho St, averaging 4.07 digs per set in 57 total sets played. Sopoaga ranks third in the Big Sky in digs per set. Sophomore outside hitter Emrie Satula holds the third best hitting percentage in the conference with a .330 stat line.

Against Idaho State, Eastern has a 42-37 record, winning the last two meetings between the teams. The Eagles defeated the Bengals last October in Pocatello, 3-2.

Up Next
Eastern Washington continues its time at Reese Court and will host Idaho on Friday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. for homecoming week.