CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington (10-12, 6-6) was defeated by rival Montana (7-16, 2-10) in straight sets on Thursday night.
Bri Gunderson and
Sadie Bacon led the Eagles offensively with 13 and 12 kills, respectively. On defense, Gunderson contributed three blocks, while
Makenna Collins recorded 18 digs to anchor the back row.
"We obviously wanted to perform better," said head coach
Jon Haruguchi. "Montana came out and played really well tonight, while we were just off our game. We'll regroup and get back at it tomorrow as we prepare for our match on Saturday."
Montana came out hot in the first set, quickly jumping to a 4-1 lead. The Eagles responded, tying it at 4-4 with a pair of Gunderson kills and a service ace from
Jannie Blake. Eastern went on a 4-0 run to take a 14-10 lead, forcing Montana to call its first timeout of the set. However, the Grizzlies bounced back with back-to-back aces and kills, regaining the lead. After another timeout by the Eagles, Montana continued its surge, eventually pulling away to win set one, 25-21.
In set two, the Grizzlies maintained their momentum, jumping out to a 4-1 lead. Montana extended its advantage to 12-7 with a balanced offensive attack. Eastern found its rhythm, aided by Gunderson's serving, and briefly took a 16-15 lead, sparked by an ace and key kills from Bacon and
Kalista Lukovich. With the set tied at 23-23, Bacon delivered a well-placed tip to the right sideline to tie it up. However, Montana outlasted the Eagles in extra points, taking set two, 29-27.
Montana continued its dominant play into set three, jumping out to a quick 6-1 lead, prompting Eastern to call an early timeout. The Grizzlies' offense was relentless, going on a 6-1 run to extend their lead to 12-3. Eastern struggled to find its rhythm, as Montana closed out the match with a 25-13 win in set three.
Up Next
The Eagles will host Montana State on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 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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