CHENEY, Wash. — The end of August and the beginning of September means more teams in action for Eastern Washington Athletics. Four Eastern programs will compete this weekend — three hosting events in Cheney — while the football team begins their season on Saturday in Minnesota.

Football

The Eags open their regular season schedule on Saturday afternoon with a highly-anticipated matchup against #2-ranked North Dakota State at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Eastern hopes to relive the magic of their last visit to an NFL building, when they beat UNLV, 35-33 in double overtime to kick off the 2021 campaign at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders. The team finished 10-3 that season, reaching the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

After starting the final game of the 2022 season, QB Kekoa Visperas is listed as the probable starter in the latest two-deep depth chart, looking to build off the success he experienced against Northern Colorado, when he led the team to a 45-21 win with 268 yards from scrimmage and 3 TDs. He'll call the snaps for an offense returning with experience all over, including four offensive linemen (plus another who played significant snaps) and Preseason All-Big Sky honorees WR Efton Chism III and TE Blake Gobel.

This year's group wrapped up a competitive fall camp on Saturday with a scrimmage that heavily featured underclassmen. Their next live action will be against the Bison on Saturday.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and on the radio via 700 ESPN and The Varsity Network app.

Soccer

The homestand continues for Eastern Washington women's soccer as they host two games at EWU Soccer Field. The Eagles will play Providence-Great Falls on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 4 p.m. The San Diego State Aztecs then come to Cheney on Sunday, Sept. 3 for a noon kick off. 

Both home games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats can be seen on GoEags.com. Fans can purchase tickets to both games at the game or online by clicking the link HERE. 

Eastern is 0-3-0 to start the season after three tough non-conference games. Kamryn Willoughby leads the Big Sky with 8.67 saves per game, ranking second with 26 total. Grace Terrill leads the team with two goals and sits in a five-way tie atop the conference leaderboard. Maddie Morgan continues to be aggressive in her senior season, leading the team with six total shots and two on goal.

Cross-Country

The Eags are hosts for their first meet of the season as the Clash of the Inland Northwest will take place in Cheney on Friday, Sept. 1. Races start early to avoid the heat, with the women starting at 8:30 a.m. and men at 9 a.m. It will be a regional showcase, with invited teams including Gonzaga, Idaho, Lewis-Clark State, Spokane Community College and more.

Home cross-country meets are always free to attend. Get more detailed meet information here.

Volleyball

Eastern Washington will play host to a four-team tournament this weekend (Sept. 1-2) at Reese Court. The Eagles welcome Seattle, Nevada and Pacific to Cheney for a total of six games over two days. Eastern first play Seattle on Friday at 12 p.m., followed by Nevada at 7 p.m. EWU wraps its games on Saturday against Pacific at 1:30.

All games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will be available on GoEags.com. Tickets to the tournament can be purchased at Reese Court or online HERE. 

EWU went 1-2 in its opening weekend tournament at CSU Bakersfield. Eastern had a commanding 3-1 win over Providence on Saturday (Aug. 26). Three Eagles recorded double-doubles in the game, with Sage Brustad earning her second with 16 kills and digs. Kate Hatch earned her first double-double with the Eagles, getting 31 assists and 17 digs, while Makenna Collins notched her first career with 10 assists and 20 digs. 

Brustad continues to be the offensive focal point with 3.83 kills per set through the first three games, hitting .208. True freshman Kalista Lukovich has stepped into the second scoring spot, averaging 2.67 kills per set on .223 hitting. Sadie Bacon was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 1.00 blocks per set, 11 assists and one solo, adding 1.58 kills per set. 
 

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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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