SACRAMENTO, Calf. — Eastern Washington (12-15, 8-8) put up a strong fight but ultimately fell to Weber State (14-14, 10-6) in a hard-fought, four-set contest. Despite a stellar performance from
Bri Gunderson, who recorded 16 kills, and
Kalista Lukovich, who contributed a double-double with 15 kills and 18 digs, the Eagles couldn't overcome a resilient Weber State squad.
"Disappointed in the outcome, but not disappointed in the season or our athletes," said head coach
Jon Haruguchi. "I think we paved the foundation and continue to lay the foundation for this program. Our whole motto is to get 1% better we have a chance, and I think we are doing that consistently. I am very proud of this team.
Jannie Blake led EWU in assists with 25, while
Kate Hatch chipped in with 18.
Tanai Jenkins made an early impact, scoring the first kill of the match down the right sideline and setting the tone for a competitive opening set.
Eastern Washington came out strong, with Jenkins' kill and Blake's ace giving the Eagles an early 2-0 lead. The teams traded points throughout the set, but Weber State slowly built a slight lead, going up 13-9. Eastern responded with a three-point run, including kills from
Sadie Bacon and Gunderson, forcing Weber State to take a timeout. Despite a late rally, highlighted by a block from
Quincy Moran and Gunderson that brought the Eagles within two points at 24-22, Weber State held on to take the set 25-22.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with the teams exchanging runs. After Weber went on a 4-0 run to take a 9-6 lead,
Kate Hatch's clever setter dump ended the streak. Eastern responded with a run of their own, and Lukovich's kill tied the set at 10-10. The teams continued to trade points, and after a 3-0 run, the Eagles took an 18-16 lead, prompting a Weber timeout. A Blake ace gave EWU a 21-18 advantage, but Weber came back with a three-point run to tie the score at 21-21. However, Eastern held firm, taking the set 25-23 on a key kill from Lukovich.
Weber State came out strong in the third set, quickly pulling ahead 8-2, forcing Eastern to take an early timeout. The Eagles briefly closed the gap with a 3-0 run, but Weber responded with a 7-0 run of their own to stretch the lead to 22-10. Eastern couldn't recover from the deficit, and Weber State finished the set with a 25-14 victory.
Eastern started the fourth set with energy, racing to a 4-1 lead. After a successful challenge by head coach
Jon Haruguchi, the Eagles maintained a three-point advantage. However, Weber State gradually clawed its way back, tying the set at 10-10. Gunderson delivered timely kills, and after a 5-1 run, Eastern led 15-12, forcing Weber to call its second timeout of the set. Weber State responded with a 4-0 run to take a 16-15 lead, and the teams continued to trade points into the late stages of the set. Eastern regained a 23-21 lead after a Wildcats error, but Weber State stormed back, taking a 26-25 lead and ultimately winning the set 27-25 to clinch the match.
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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