CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington's fall team's seasons are winding down, while the winter sports are getting started this week. Volleyball will be at Reese Court twice this week coming off a road win. Cross-Country will be in Montana for the Big Sky Conference Championships. Riding the momentum from the homecoming win, Football travels to play Portland State. Women's basketball begins its season with an exhibition game at home, while women's tennis closes out its fall slate with a quick road trip north.
Cross-Country — Friday, Oct. 27 at Big Sky Championships; 10 a.m. PT, 11 a.m. MT (ESPN+)
It's championship week!
The Eagles head back to Missoula to compete in the 2023 Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championships, on the same course they raced back on Sept. 15, finishing 4th (women) and 2nd (men) in the University of Montana Open.
Eastern's final tuneup before the championship meet was on Oct. 14, when they finished 3rd (women) and 4th(men) at the LC State Invitational in Lewiston.
EWU will have its work cut out for them to chase down nationally-ranked Northern Arizona (no. 1 for both men and women) and Montana State (no. 27 men) on what is forecasted to be a very cold morning in western Montana, with an expected daytime high of 34 degrees.
The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+, with the women's 5K at 10 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. MT and the men's 8K at 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT.
Football — Saturday, Oct. 28 at Portland State; 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Eagles (3-4, 2-2 Big Sky) look to build on their 31-23 win over Weber State at home last week with a trip to the Rose City to take on the Vikings (3-4, 2-2) for the Dam Cup.
Started in 2010, the Dam Cup celebrates the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference. The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile one campus to the other. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam. Portland State won the Cup last year with a 38-35 win in Cheney, snapping a 5-game winning streak for the Eagles from 2016-21.
Eastern's defense stood tall in critical moments against the Wildcats last week, securing their lowest points against total of the season while holding Weber State to 369 yards of total offense. With the ball, the Eagles controlled possession, rushing 46 times for 192 yards, including an 18-play, 8:40 drive to take an 8-point lead in the 4th quarter. Tuna Altahir picked up 125 yards of total offense, scoring once on the ground and once through the air to lead the way.
Portland State lost at home to Idaho State last week, 24-38.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and broadcast on the radio via 700 ESPN or the Varsity Network app.
Volleyball — Thursday, Oct. 26 vs. Weber State; 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28 vs. Idaho State; 2 p.m.(Get Tickets)
Eastern Washington is back at home for two Big Sky matchups this week. The Eagles start with Weber State on Thursday night and then Idaho State on Saturday afternoon.
This past week, Eastern had one game on its schedule, traveling down to Moscow, Idaho to play the Vandals on Saturday (Oct. 21). EWU won a 3-1 game over Idaho, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Eagles defense held strong, limiting the Vandals to a .147 attack percentage in the game.
Bri Gunderson was the key player, leading the team with 13 kills and six total blocks. The junior had a .571 attack percentage in the game.
Erin McInnes provided another scoring option, finishing with nine kills on .250 hitting.
EWU is 3-6 in conference and 9-12 overall this season, with a 3-4 mark at home.
Gunderson is ninth in the Big Sky with 1.06 blocks per set, recording 82 total - 16 solo and 66 assists - this season. Sage Brustad continues to rank among top scorers in the conference, averaging 3.55 kills per set, good for third on the leaderboard. Brustad's 0.41 aces per set is tied for third in the Big Sky. Makenna Collins holds the back line steady for Eastern, leading the team and ranking fifth in the conference with 4.09 digs per set.
Women's Basketball — Sunday, Oct. 29 vs. Montana Tech; 2 p.m. (Free Admission)
Eastern Washington takes the court for its first game of the 2023-24 season in an exhibition against Montana Tech. The Eagles will be at Reese Court as fans can get their first look at the team.
The Big Sky coaches' preseason poll was released last week and Eastern was selected to win the conference this season. The media poll placed the Eagles second behind Northern Arizona.
Jamie Loera and Jaydia Martin were both selected to the Big Sky All-Conference preseason team. Loera, the reigning Big Sky Defensive MVP, returns for her second season in Cheney. Martin will be starting her third season with Eastern, earning postseason honors All-Conference third team honors last season.
Head coach Joddie Gleason begins her third season at the helm and returns 16 of 17 players, including all five starters, from the 2022-23 team.
The Eagles were 19-11 overall last season with an 11-7 record in the Big Sky. Eastern had a 10-win improvement from the 2021-22 season, matching a program record. The team was the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, defeating the No. 5 seed Montana in the quarterfinals. It was the program's first postseason win since 2019.
Women's Tennis — Friday-Sunday (Oct. 27-29) at Gonzaga Invite; All Day
Eastern travels up the road to participate in the Gonzaga Invite this weekend. It will be the team's final competition of the 2023 Fall Schedule. The team will play matches throughout the three-day event.
The Eagles have hosted the Eagle Invitational and played in the ITA Northwest Regional tournament during its fall slate. At the ITA's, Eastern earned three wins in singles and two in doubles during the three days in Stanford, Calif.
The spring season for Eastern Begins on Jan. 12 against Washington in Seattle.
Tickets for the 2023 EWU Football season are now available! Visit goeags.com/tickets or call the EWU Athletics Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 to secure yours today.
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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