MOSCOW, Idaho. — The Eagles (5-8, 1-2) secured their first conference victory, completing a dominant sweep over the Idaho Vandals (1-13, 0-3) in their first of three consecutive road matches.
 
Bri Gunderson led the charge for the Eagles with 10 kills, hitting .600 and four blocks, while Elle Bruegman contributed defensively with eight digs. As a team, the Eagles showcased impressive offensive efficiency, achieving a .443 hitting percentage with only five errors.
 
The Eagles wasted no time in the first set, racing to a 5-0 lead and forcing the Vandals to call an early timeout. Following the break, Eastern quickly extended their lead to 6-0 before Idaho finally broke the run with a tip. The Eagles maintained control, pushing their advantage to 18-10, prompting Idaho to use their second timeout. Out of the timeout, Jannie Blake delivered back-to-back aces, keeping the momentum firmly with Eastern. The Eagles closed the first set decisively at 25-15.
 
Idaho came out strong in the second set, scoring three quick points with an ace and back-to-back blocks. However, Eastern responded with a kill from Kalista Lukovich to break the Vandals' momentum. The Eagles capitalized on an overpass from Idaho, with Alyssa Radke delivering a powerful kill to give Eastern an 8-5 lead, forcing Idaho to call their first timeout. Blake continued to shine, serving another ace right after the break. Gunderson stepped up next with back-to-back aces, extending the lead to six points. Kate Hatch added yet another ace, pushing the Eagles to a 17-10 lead and prompting Idaho to call their second timeout. Quincy Moran then collected consecutive kills, building Eastern's lead to nine points. The Eagles took the second set 25-14.
 
Momentum carried into the third set, where Eastern jumped to an early 6-0 lead before Idaho managed to score. The Vandals called their second timeout early as the Eagles surged ahead to a 10-1 lead. Idaho struggled to regain their footing, and the Eagles closed out the set 25-10, sealing the match with a convincing 3-0 victory.
 
Up Next
The Eagles will continue their three-game road stint as they travel to Montana to take on Montana State on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., and Montana on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 6 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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