BOZEMAN, Mont. — Offense was hard to come by for Eastern Washington volleyball against Montana State. The Bobcats defeated the Eagles, 3-1, with both teams hitting under .100 for the game. Eastern is now 2-5 in the Big Sky and 8-11 overall.
Kalista Lukovich led the Eagles with 11 kills while Bri Gunderson added 10.
"It wasn't the prettiest match we've ever played but I'm proud of the fight our team showed throughout," head coach Jon Haruguchi said. "We need to keep staying aggressive and play better in each game."
Starting out in the first set, Montana St. led early, but Eastern stayed close. Gunderson would account for four kills in the set. Tied at 17, the Bobcats organized a 5-0 run to separate from the Eagles. MSU earned a 25-21 set win and led EWU 1-0.
The second set was a different story for Eastern as the team raced out to a 7-0 lead, getting two aces from Kate Hatch and one from Brustad. The Bobcats cut the lead down, but the Eagles continued to swing effectively and defend the net. Tanai Jenkins notched three block assists in the set to lead the effort at the net. EWU evened the game with a 25-18 set-two win.
In the third set, MSU pushed its attack early and was up 10-4 on the Eagles. A string of kills from Gunderson, Lukovich and Sadie Bacon cut the lead down to 16-13. A 4-1 stretch for the Bobcats put them in control of the set. Eastern dropped the set, 25-18, and MSU was up 2-1 in the game.
The Bobcats jumped out to a 10-3 advantage to start the fourth set. Gunderson drove the Eagles back into the game with three block assists and the lead was down to 13-8. The set remained tight and EWU cut the lead down further to 21-18, getting three kills from Lukovich. MSU managed to keep Eastern at a distance. The Bobcats won the set 25-21 and the game 3-1.
Eagle Notes
- Eastern finished with 14.0 blocks in the game, getting contributions from six different players. Tanai Jenkins set a career-high with eight blocks, getting one solo and seven assists. Sadie Bacon had eight block assists to match her career high set earlier this season against Gonzaga. Bri Gunderson six block assists.
- Makenna Collins recorded 22 digs in the game, her fourth 20-dig game of the season and third in four games. Collins had seven 20-dig games in her career.
- Eastern had five service aces and eight errors in the game. Kate Hatch and Sage Brustad each had two.
Up Next
Eastern Washington takes on Montana on Saturday (Oct. 14) at 1 p.m. in Missoula.
New for the 2023-24 season, the EWU Women's Sports Pass gives fans access to over 30 Eagle Athletics events, including volleyball, soccer and women's basketball for only $5 per game! Learn more and get yours today at goeags.com/tickets or call 509-359-6056.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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