Big Sky games are here for Eastern Washington women's volleyball, as the team will also enjoy its regular season home opener. Eastern begins conference play on the road Thursday, Sep. 22 against Montana State at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. On Saturday, the Eagles will be on Reese Court and host Portland State at 7 p.m.

Last Time Out
Eastern Washington closed out its non-conference schedule this past weekend in Nacogdoches, Texas at the Hampton Inn Classic. The Eagles won its first game against Arkansas State, 3-1, but dropped the second against Stephen F. Austin, 0-3. Eastern's final non-conference game was a comeback, 3-2 win over Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Sage Brustad was the key scoring threat, averaging 4.06 kills per set, while hitting .176. In the team's win over Arkansas St., Brustad had a career high 27.5 points for the second most points in a single game recorded in the Big Sky this season. Lindsey Russell tallied 153 assists for a 9.56 per set average. Sadie Bacon recorded two solo blocks and 11 block assists, averaging 0.81 blocks per set. Makenna Collins averaged 2.88 digs per set, getting 46 total over the weekend.

Scouting the Eagles
In its non-conference schedule, Eastern went 5-7, with a 4-2 record in neutral sites and 1-5 in away games. The Eagles have been serving at a high level, ranking second in the Big Sky with 1.77 service aces per set, recording 83 total. Eastern's offense has been productive as well, averaging 12.28 kills per set to rank third in the conference. On the attack, the Eagles are hitting .208 to come in at fourth in the Big Sky.

All season, Brustad has been the engine for Eastern's offense, averaging 3.87 kills per set to rank second in the conference. Brustad has been part of the Eagles success at the service line, ranking second in the Big Sky with 0.45 aces per set, with 21 total. The junior is also second in the conference with 4.52 points per set, recording 212.5 total points this season. She has three double-doubles in 2022.

Helping Brustad, Bacon has contributed across the board for Eastern, hitting .340 with 241 total attacks for the fifth best percentage in the Big Sky. The sophomore has 18 service aces and averages 0.38 per set, good for eighth in the conference. Bacon is third on the team with 2.17 kills per set and second with 0.72 blocks per set.

The offense continues to run through Russell and her 452 assists. The senior is averaging 9.83 assists per set, third best in the Big Sky. Russell is second on the team with 2.24 digs per set and has recorded five double-doubles this season.

Collins is an integral part of the Eagles' defense, averaging 3.53 digs per set. The sophomore is sixth in the conference in digs per set and has 166 digs this season.

Along with reception, Eastern's net defense is solid, with Renata Lopez Morales leading the effort. Lopez Morales averages 0.93 blocks per set, getting three solo blocks and 38 assists.

Scouting the Bobcats
Montana State enters the conference play with a 4-8 overall record and is 1-5 in Bozeman. Last week, MSU hosted the Bobcat Invitational, going 1-2 in the tournament. The Bobcats defeated Boise State, 3-2, but dropped games against No. 18 Washington(0-3) and North Texas(1-3). MSU has been strong on the block, ranking fourth in the Big Sky with 2.24 blocks per set, 114 total. The team averages 11.00 kills per set with a .184 hitting percentage.

Junior middle blocker Emma Pence is the Bobcats main net defender, averaging 0.97 blocks per set to rank eighth in the conference. Sophomore middle blocker Jordan Radick scores with efficiency for MSU, leading the team with a .313 hitting percentage and ranking seventh in the Big Sky. Freshman outside hitter Madilyn
Siebler is the team's top scorer, averaging 2.86 kills per set.

Eastern Washington has a 53-27 record against Montana State in program history, with a 20-18 road record versus the Bobcats. The Eagles have dropped the last seven games against MSU, including both games last season, 1-3 at home and 1-3 on the road.

Scouting the Vikings
In 2022, Portland State is 5-6 on the season and 1-1 on the road. The Vikings played in the Portland North Marriott Invitational last week, splitting games. PSU defeated Seattle, 3-1, while dropping its game against the host, Portland, 1-3. The offense is productive for the Vikings, ranking fourth in the conference with 12.22 kills per set. The team is also fourth in service aces with 1.68 per set and 69 total. In reception, PSU averages 14.73 digs per set to place fourth in the Big Sky.

Leading the offense is sophomore outside hitter Sophia Meyers and her 3.20 kills per set. Meyers hits .225 on the season with 373 total attacks. At the service line, the Vikings have three players in the conference top-10 for service aces. The group includes Peyton Webb(0.41) at number five, Ellie Snook(0.39) at six and Meyers(0.35) at 10. Snook is second in the conference in digs per set, with a 4.02 per set average.

Eastern is 29-32 against Portland St. with a 17-13 record against them in Cheney. The Eagles fell, 0-3, to the Vikings in the only meeting between the two teams in last season.

Up Next
Eastern Washington will play one game on the road next week against Idaho on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.