TOLEDO, Ohio. — Eastern capped off their performance at the Rocket Invitational with a solid victory over Northern Kentucky, winning the match 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23). This win improved the Eagles' record to 3-5 for the season.
 
Kalista Lukovich was instrumental in the victory, leading the Eagles with 15 kills and 17 digs, marking her third double-double of the season. On the defensive side, Bri Gunderson made a significant impact with a career-high 11 blocks and added 10 kills, hitting .214.
 
The match started strong for Eastern. Sadie Bacon set the tone with a decisive kill in the first set, helping the Eagles establish an early lead and force Northern Kentucky to call both their timeouts. With notable contributions from Quincy Moran and Gunderson, Eastern secured the first set 25-18.
 
In the second set, the Eagles quickly took the lead, but Northern Kentucky fought back to briefly gain control. However, Eastern responded with a series of strong plays, including a key kill by Gunderson, and took the set 25-19.
 
Northern Kentucky rallied in the third set, opening with an 8-1 lead. Despite a strong effort by the Eagles to close the gap, NKU maintained their momentum and won the set 25-20.
 
The fourth set saw Eastern take an early 5-1 lead, only for Northern Kentucky to surge ahead with a 5-0 run. The Eagles, however, fought back resiliently, eventually tying the set at 21-21. After a timeout by NKU, Gunderson's crucial play gave Eastern their first lead of the set. The Eagles secured the final two points to win the set 25-23 and claim the match.
 
Up Next
The Eagles will stay close to home as they face off against San Diego State and Gonzaga in the Gonzaga Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21.
 
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.

FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky and TikTok for all the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated.
  Read Full Article