CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern (9-9, 5-3) fell in three straight sets to Northern Colorado (16-5, 7-1), their first loss in the last six matches.
 
Kalista Lukovich was a standout performer, leading Eastern with 15 kills and hitting an impressive .333. On the defensive end, Tanai Jenkins and Quincy Moran were formidable, contributing five and four blocks respectively, helping the Eagles out blocked their opponents nine to six.
 
Reflecting on the game, Coach Haruguchi expressed both disappointment and pride: "We are disappointed, but we aren't going to hang our heads about it. We played some very scrappy volleyball against a really good team and came up a little short. I'm real proud of the gutsy plays we made."
 
In the first set, Eastern jumped out to a 5-2 lead, showing early promise. However, Northern Colorado quickly responded, taking the lead with a 4-0 run. The Eagles managed to regain momentum and went on a four-point swing, highlighted by an ace from Sadie Bacon, to take a 15-13 lead. The set continued to swing back and forth, with the Eagles tying it at 20-20, prompting the Bears to call a timeout. Despite their efforts, Eastern fell just short, losing the set 25-23.
 
The second set saw the Eagles come out aggressively, with a quick kill from Bacon and a powerful block from Jenkins and Bri Gunderson. Eastern maintained a solid four-point lead for much of the set. Yet, the Bears mounted a comeback, leveling the score at 14-14 after a four-point run. Eastern called a timeout to regroup his team. Eastern briefly pulled ahead again, but Northern Colorado managed to close it out with a 26-24 win.
 
In the third set, the Bears started strong, racing to a 6-1 lead before Eastern took its first timeout. Undeterred, the Eagles clawed back, narrowing the gap to three points. The turning point came after back-to-back blocks from Jenkins and Moran, along with another ace from Bacon, allowing Eastern to tie it at 14-14. The Eagles even took their first lead at 15-14, demonstrating their fighting spirit. However, Northern Colorado responded with a series of crucial plays to secure the set 26-24 and complete the match.
 
Up Next
Eastern will face off against Northern Arizona at home on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 12 p.m.
 
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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