CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Athletics are getting back into full gear this week, as two teams begin their seasons and one looks to keep winning out of the gate. Football hosts Monmouth in the season opener on Thursday, with a 6 p.m. kickoff time. Volleyball's regular season opens on the road in Orem, Utah with a three-match weekend, starting Friday morning. Coming off a shutout win on Sunday, Soccer looks to add to its winning streak with another road test against a former Big Sky member.
Football - vs. Monmouth (Thursday, August 29 6 p.m.) - SWX/ESPN+ - Get Tickets
The first game week for Eastern Washington's 2024 season is here and the team enjoys home field advantage to begin its campaign. Eastern hosts Monmouth for a Thursday night matchup at Roos Field. The game will air live on SWX and is streamed on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the game live on 700 ESPN (103.5 FM or The Varsity App) with the voices of the Eagles, Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen.
In the preseason media poll, Eastern was picked to finish sixth while being slated eighth in the coaches' poll. Eastern ended 2023 with a 4-7 record and was ninth in the Big Sky with a 3-5 conference record. EWU's offense ranked third in passing offense (263.4 yards per game) and fourth in total offense (417.6 yards per game).
Kekoa Visperas led the Big Sky with 275.4 passing yards per game and ranked third in pass efficiency at 138.3. Visperas was an All-Conference honorable mention in 2023 and earned preseason All-Big Sky second team recognition from Phil Steele.
Efton Chism III totaled 932 receiving yards last season, with eight touchdowns on 84 catches. He ranked third in the conference in all three categories. Chism has collected a wealth of preseason recognitions including Big Sky All-Conference, Stats Perform All-American, Phil Steele All-American and All-Big Sky first team, along with FCS Football Central All-American. The Monroe, Wash. native was also listed on the Walter Payton Watch List, along with being included in the Reese's Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl watchlist for the NFL Draft
Soccer - vs. Southern Utah (Thursday, August 29 1 p.m.) - ESPN+
Coming off a huge road win over South Dakota, Eastern looks to start the season 3-1. The Eagles look to have their best four match start since the 2016 season when they started 3-1-0 and won the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
The Eagles will finish their road trip this Thursday, at 1 pm against Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds are 0-3 to start the season, after losing 2-1 to UNLV and Nevada in their last two matches. Last season, Southern Utah finished 3-11-5 overall, and 3-5-1 in the Western Athletic Conference.
The Eagles are 7-2-1 all-time against the Thunderbirds, and currently own a four game winning streak. In those last four match wins, The Eagles have outscored the Thunderbirds 9-0. Eastern is 11-11-2 all-time against Western Athletic Conference Teams, and are 26-21-3 overall against teams from the state of Utah.
The Eagles lead the Big Sky Conference in goals per game (2.000), PK's (2), corner kicks (21), and rank second with 43 shots taken. The Eagles have already matched last season's win total, and have already exceeded their wins on the road (2) in the past two seasons combined.
Volleyball - at Utah Valley (Friday, Aug. 30 - 11 a.m. Pacific Time), vs. Cal State Bakersfield (Friday, Aug. 30 - 4 p.m.), vs. UMKC (Saturday, Aug. 31 - 11 a.m.)
Eastern Washington Volleyball is kicking off their 2024 season at the Utah Valley Tournament in Orem, Utah. The Eagles will begin their campaign on Aug. 30 with a match against the host team, Utah Valley, at 11 a.m., followed by a clash with Cal State Bakersfield later that day at 4 p.m. They'll wrap up the tournament with a game against UMKC on Aug. 31 at 11 a.m. This opening stretch will be a crucial test for the team as they look to build momentum early in the season.
Returning players to watch include Sadie Bacon,
Kate Hatch,
Makenna Collins,
Bri Gunderson, and
Alyssa Radke, each of whom brings valuable experience to the court. Freshman
Quincy Moran is also a player to keep an eye on; she demonstrated significant promise in the exhibition match against Central Washington on Aug. 24. With a mix of seasoned talent and emerging new faces, EWU is poised for an exciting start to their season.
Cross Country - Clash of the Inland Northwest (Friday, Aug. 30 8:30 a.m.) (Cheney, Wash.)
Eastern's cross country teams will kick off their season this Friday, Aug. 30, with the Clash of the Inland Northwest meet at home. The women's race will start at 8:30 a.m., followed by the men's race at approximately 9:30 a.m. The event will feature a strong lineup of competitors, including Gonzaga, Idaho, LCSC, Community College Spokane, Whitman, Whitworth, and Walla Walla.
Coming off two fifth-place team finishes at the 2023 Big Sky Conference Championships, Eastern is looking to improve its standings this season. With a solid lineup and a competitive field, the meet should provide a good indication of how the Eagles will fare as they strive for better results in the upcoming season.
The Eagles open the 2024 regular season on Aug. 29 vs. Monmouth! Season tickets for the 2024 football season are now available. Ticket packages can be purchased online via your Paciolan account, over the phone at 509-359-6059, or by emailing tickets@ewu.edu.
Volleyball season and single-game tickets are now available, with nine home matches to watch! To purchase, go to www.goeags.com, or call the Eastern Washington University Ticket office at (509) 359-6059.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
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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