CHENEY, Wash. — The 2023 Eastern Washington volleyball is set for the new season and boasts nine newcomers to the roster. Head coach
Jon Haruguchi will bring in a deep group of freshmen and transfers to strengthen the team and look to qualify for the Big Sky tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
Eagle Newcomers
#2 Jannie Blake | Setter | Lee College | La'ie, O'ahu
Jannie Blake arrives at Eastern following two seasons at Lee College. At Lee, Blake recorded 924 assists, 217 digs and 29 aces in the 2022 season. Blake followed up with 643 assists, 219 digs and 28 aces in the 2023 season. She earned the Elvin Bethea Sportsmanship award in 2022 and 2023, while earning the Presidential Honoree Award in '22. She attended Kahuku High School in Kahuku, Hawai'i prior to her collegiate career.
Blake plans on majoring in Exercise Science to pursue a career as a Physical Therapist.
Haruguchi on Blake
"It is great to have another islander on our roster. This program has had a connection to Hawaii and I'm glad she is here to continue that tradition. Jannie brings a ton of knowledge with her to the setting position. She comes from a strong high school program and has two years of collegiate experience as well."
#4 Sofia Lindemann | Middle Blocker/Right-Side | Lewis-Palmer HS | Monument, Colo.
Sofia Lindemann played her high school career at Lewis-Palmer in Monument, Colo. In her final season at Lewis-Palmer, Lindemann was ranked as the No. 3 blocker at the 4A level. Lindemann would record 24 solo blocks and 67 assists to average 0.9 blocks per set. She helped Lewis-Palmer advance to the 4A final four in the 2022 state tournament. Lindemann also played in Germany for TV Labach club, winning the 2019 Youth State championship.
At Eastern, Lindemann plans on majoring in International Business.
Haruguchi on Lindemann
"I am very happy to have Sophia with our program. She's been training with some of the top coaches in Colorado and I know she's eager to keep learning the game. She has lived all over the world and those experiences will bring great value to our program. In our conversations during the recruiting process, I felt she was hungry to keep growing her game and I'm excited to see how far she can go."
#6 Kate Hatch | Setter | Northern Arizona | Mesa, Ariz.
Kate Hatch transfers to Eastern from Northern Arizona after playing three seasons in Flagstaff. Hatch was NAU's starting setter in the 2022 and led the Lumberjacks with 820 assists, averaging 8.91 per set. Against New Mexico, Hatch recorded a career-high 57 assists. She finished her career at NAU with 1410 assists, 458 digs and 46 service aces. Hatch earned Big Sky All-Academic honors in all three seasons with the 'Jacks(2020-22). Prior to NAU, Hatch played at Mesa High, earning 6A Region Player of the Year.
Hatch will be a graduate student this season and she will pursue a master's degree in Wellness and Movement Sciences at Eastern.
Haruguchi on Hatch
"I'm very excited to have Kate join us this season as she pursues her graduate degree from EWU. She comes from a volleyball family and knows this conference very well, having just finished her undergrad at NAU. Her wealth of experience and knowledge of the game will benefit our program greatly."
#8 Bri Gunderson | Middle Blocker | BYU | Ladera Ranch, Calif.
Bri Gunderson joins the Eagles after playing two seasons for Brigham Young University. Gunderson saw limited action for the Cougars, but was a part of the team that advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. In her high school career, Gunderson played for San Juan Hills High in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. At San Juan Hills, Gunderson was ranked the No. 9 middle blocker in Pre Volleyball's Top 150 rankings. Gunderson was a first team ALl-South Coast League in 2021, helping the team win the league that same season. She also contributed to league championship teams in 2018-20. Gunderson was a force in the middle, leading the South Coast League in blocks from 2019-21. In 2019, Gunderson was a Prep Volleyball All-American.
While attending Eastern, Gunderson plans to pursue a degree in Elementary Education.
Haruguchi on Gunderson
"The addition of Bri to our roster couldn't have come at a better time. Her versatility allows for depth in several different positions and I'm excited to see where she fits best. She's coming from a strong program and I'm looking forward to her bringing that experience of high-level volleyball into our gym."
#9 Kalista Lukovich | Outside Hitter | Adrienne C. Nelson HS | Happy Valley, Ore.
Kalista Lukovich played at Adrienne C. Nelson High Schools in Clackamas, Ore. prior to arriving in Cheney. Lukovich was a 2022 All-State first team selection and was the Mount Hood Conference Co-Player of the Year. During her high school career, Lukovich earned three Mount Hood Conference first team selections. Lukovich helped Adrienne C. Nelson place third in the 2022 state tournament and also win the Mount Hood Conference. She tallied 493 kills in her final high school season.
Lukovich is planning on majoring in either finance or criminology at Eastern.
Haruguchi on Lukovich
"Kalista was the first commitment for this incoming class and will bring great stability to the outside hitter position. She's played at a high level to this point and she is a great competitor. I believe she will fit in nicely, both on and off the court, and I can't wait to see how far she can take us."
#11 Mackenna Thayne | Outside Hitter/Right-Side | College of South Idaho | Pocatello, Idaho
Mackenna Thayne transfers to Eastern from the College of Southern Idaho where she played three seasons. Thayne played at Highland High School in Pocatello, Idaho prior to Southern Idaho. In the 2020 season, Thayne was named to the Scenic West All-Conference team and added All-area award that season. She carried a .137 attack percentage in her high school career. In addition to volleyball, Thayne lettered in basketball at Highland.
Thayne wants to major in Exercise Science to pursue a career in Physical Therapy or Esthetician.
Haruguchi on Thayne
"The addition of Mackenna to our roster will add great value to our outside hitter group. She comes from a strong program at College of Southern Idaho, where she's competed at a high-level the past two years. We spoke to her coaches at CSI, and they praised her work ethic in the classroom and on the court. Her knowledge of the game, along with a strong arm, are just a couple of the things we are looking forward to having in our gym."
#12 Emberlyn Reynolds | Middle Blocker/Right-Side | Lake City HS | Coeur D Alene, Idaho
Emberlyn Reynolds began her collegiate career at EWU after playing at Lake City High in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Reynolds was named to the IEL All-League team in her senior year(2022). She earned three letters in volleyball, while earning four in basketball.
While attending Eastern, Reynolds plans on majoring in Environmental Science and wants to pursue a career in Conservation.
Haruguchi on Reynolds
"Probably the quality that stood out for me when recruiting Emberlyn was her work ethic. From whistle to whistle, she just seemed to have a motor that never quit. You can really see that she loves this game and a strong desire to be great. She's had solid coaching at CPA and I can't wait to get in the gym with her and get to work."
#14 Elle Bruegman | Defensive Specialist | Sheldon HS | Eugene, Ore.
Elle Bruegman will arrive in Cheney after a decorated career at Sheldon High School in Eugene, Ore. Bruegman was a 6A All-State first team honoree in 2022, while helping Sheldon to the 6A state championship. She earned All-Southwest League in both 2022 and 2021. In the 2021 season, Bruegman was listed on Scorebook Live Oregon's Top Libero list. During her high school career, Bruegman averaged 10.2 digs, 2.7 assists and 1.3 aces per set.
This fall, Bruegman plans on majoring in BIology and PreMed to pursue a career in the medical field.
Haruguchi on Bruegman
"I couldn't be more pleased to have Elle join our program. She is the daughter of Tim and Kathy Bruegman, who are both Eastern alum and now she can add to her family's legacy as an Eagle. Elle brings a feisty defensive presence and will complement our backrow very well. We knew we needed a bit more depth in that position and Elle was the piece we were looking for on defense."
#17 Erin McInnes | Outside Hitter/Right-Side | San Jose State | Santa Ana, Calif.
Erin McInnes comes to Eastern from San Jose State University. She attended Tustin High School in Tustin, Calif. prior to enrolling at San Jose State. In 2022, McInnes earned All-Empire League first team. McInnes helped Tustin win the CIF D5 Championship in 2020.
McInnes plans on majoring in graphic design at Eastern and wants to use that degree to work for a music company after graduating.
Haruguchi on McInnes
"I am thrilled to have Erin with us this upcoming season. Her physicality is something we were looking for in the recruiting process and we couldn't be happier that she is part of our Eastern family. She is a heck of a blocker with good instincts, which we can draw upon to keep improving that element of our game."
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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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