The 2022 Eastern Washington volleyball team was on the court for the first time this fall on Wednesday afternoon. Eastern battled Central Washington at Reese Court, dropping the game to the Wildcats, 0-3.

"There was a lot of stuff that I was really pleased with. There were some moments where I could tell we were a little nervous," head coach Jon Haruguchi said. "This is why we play these [games]. We can play and get those jitters out of the way and continue to work on areas to make us better. I really just wanted to see a couple different options for us in the third set."

Sage Brustad had a game-high, 13 kills, while hitting .273. She added two digs and one service ace.

"I just calmed myself down after the first set," Brustad said. "It starts with the pass, but it was important for me to get the first ball for everyone. I'm really excited to be back. I think we worked hard in spring and summer. Putting all the pieces together; I think we have a really special group."

The Eagles opened with a 4-1 stretch in set one, but the Wildcats countered with a 5-0 burst to take the lead. The teams went back-and-forth and ended up tied at 12, nearing midway through the set. CWU would use a 6-2 run to push ahead of the Eagles to build a four-point advantage. The run was enough separation to win the set, ending in a 25-19 score to go up 1-0 in the game.

In the second set, the teams again exchanged points with no breathing room established form either side. With the score tied at eight, the Wildcats put together an 8-2 stretch to put them in command of the set at 16-10. CWU went on to win the second set, 25-17 and was now leading the game, 2-0.

Facing the 2-0 deficit, Eastern continued to fight in the third, as the set followed the same pattern from the first two as a tight contest early on. The Eagles jumped ahead 12-8, with Brustad delivering a pair of kills. The Wildcats pulled close at 14-12 to stay in striking distance. Eastern extended its lead to 17-13 with kills from Renata Lopez Morales and Leah McAdams. CWU was not out of the game though, mounting a 5-0 run to take the lead over the Eagles. Lopez Morales would tie the match back up at 19 with critical block assisted that she partnered with Ellie Garrett. Despite the effort, the Wildcats would pull ahead for good, winning the third set, 25-21, and securing the 3-0 win for the game.

The Eagles finished with a .159 hitting percentage, while CWU hit .253.

Key Statistics
Eastern out blocked the Wildcats, 7.0 to 5.0. Renata Lopez Morales led Eastern with three block assists, while the team recorded three solo blocks. Sage Brustad, Leah McAdams and McKenna Russell all finished with a solo block for the game.

CWU had 11 service aces, while Eastern recorded four.

Up Next
Eastern Washington starts the regular season next weekend, where they travel to Memphis, Tenn. for a three-match tournament. Their opponents include Central Michigan on Friday, August 26 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time and Southern University later that day at 2 p.m. The tournament concludes against host Memphis on Saturday, August 27 at 10 a.m.