CHENEY, Wash. — The 2023 Eastern Washington women's volleyball was on the court for the first time on Tuesday afternoon, playing host to Central Washington. The Wildcats won the first two sets, but the Eagles rallied to win the next two and even the game. CWU managed to outscore Eastern in the fifth set and get the 3-2 win.
"We talk a lot about being one-percent better and that's what we focused on," head coach Jon Haruguchi said. "Those first two sets were a little rough and you could tell we were nervous. In the third set, we settled down and stuck to our game plan better and that was part of working on that one-percent. We did start that on the service line and a lot of things fell into place after we got that working. We want to be good in November and that's why we're working on that one-percent every game."
Sage Brustad finished with 13 kills to lead the EWU, and had 11 digs for the double-double. Kalista Lukovich and Sadie Bacon each recorded 10 kills. Grad transfer Kate Hatch notched 39 assists in her first action for the Eagles, adding 12 digs.
CWU won the first set 25-14, behind .300 hitting. Eastern was led by Bacon and Brustad with three kills each. The Wildcats had six different players record kills in the opening set.
The second set would be a repeat of the first, as CWU won 25-15 to go up 2-0 over Eastern. Bacon had three kills for the Eagles in the set. The Wildcats hit .235 to gain the advantage in the game.
Brustad found her swing in the third set, tallying four kills and helping the Eagles avoid the sweep with a 25-22 win. Eastern registered 16 kills in the set and hit .452.
The momentum in the game had shifted and the Eagles took advantage in the third set. Lukovich fired in four kills and Brustad added three as Eastern evened up the game with a 25-17 set four win. The Eagles stayed hot on the attack, hitting .323 with 13 kills. Brustad also added three service aces in the set.
Both teams battled with intensity in the fifth set, culminating in 10 ties and four lead changes in the race to 15. After being tied at 11, CWU managed to separate with a two-point lead. The Wildcats held on for the set win and the 3-2 game victory.
Up Next
Eastern Washington opens the regular season at the CSU Bakersfield Tournament, where it will play three games from Aug 25-26. Eastern starts with the host team, CSU Bakersfield on Friday, followed by Southern Utah later that day. The tournament concludes on Saturday against Providence.
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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