CHENEY, Wash. — It's home week for Eastern Washington athletics as three teams will be in Cheney. Football begins its home schedule with a non-conference matchup against Western Illinois. Volleyball hosts its first home tournament in two years, playing two games and traveling for one in Pullman.
Football - vs. Western Illinois (Saturday, Sep. 20 at 4 p.m.) - Get Tickets
The 2025 home opener is finally here for Eastern Washington as they host Western Illinois on Saturday. The game kicks off at 4 p.m. from Roos Field, with Welcome Weekend festivities beforehand and Rush Roos for all new Eagles.
The game will be broadcast live on SWX and streamed live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard live on 700 ESPN and the Varsity App.
EWU finished its three-game road trip last week at Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. The Panthers had the early lead, but the Eagles rallied to pull within three in the fourth quarter. Nate Bell, making his first collegiate start, stepped up, rushing for a 15 and a 40 yard touchdowns in the fourth to put EWU in striking distance. The comeback effort fell short as EWU missed the game-tying field goal in the final minute and won, 17-14. The Panthers out gained Eastern 495 to 276 in the game. Bell finished with 89 yards on 14 carries, while completing 21-of-35(60%) passes for 159 yards.
Against UNI, EWU blocked a kick for the third-consecutive game, as Bryce Smith found a lane to block a punt in the fourth quarter. Eastern is one of 18 teams to block a kick in the FCS. With three total blocked kicks, EWU leads the Big Sky and is second in the nation.
Bell has three rushing touchdowns this season, leading the team, while ranking second in the conference and 19th in the FBS. The Brentwood, Calif. Native also leads the Eagles with 124 rushing yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Noah Cronquist leads the team in receiving, recording 138 yards on 13 receptions.
Jaylon Jenkins intercepted his first pass as an Eagle on Saturday, adding two tackles and one pass breakup. The redshirt-sophomore leads the team with three pass breakups this season, while ranking third in the Big Sky and 31st in the FCS. Tylin Jackson added to his sack total with 0.5 credit against the Panthers, along with four tackles. Jackson leads the team with 1.5 sacks this season and 3.5 tackles for a loss, carrying 12.0 total tackles.
Women's Golf - at The Yellowstone Intercollegiate (Monday-Tuesday, Sep. 15-16, All Day)
EWU begins the 2025-26 season today at the Yellowstone Intercollegiate in Bozeman, Mont., hosted by Montana State. The Eagles will play two rounds today and one tomorrow for their first competition.
Head coach Brenda Howe begins her 17th season at the helm and brings in a balanced roster of veterans and newcomers. The Eagles have senior Brooke Mahler returning to go with sophomores Natalie Kent, Berkley Ledesma and Esha Reddy. Joining the Eagles is Brooke's sister Lexie Mahler, along with freshman Mia Cho.
EWU was picked to finish 8th in the Big Sky preseason coaches' poll. Eastern placed 9th at the conference championships last season.
Women's Soccer – vs. Pacific (Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m.) - Free Admission
Eastern Washington returns home for its final preseason matchup against Pacific on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m., before beginning Big Sky Conference play. The Eagles and Tigers have met twice in program history, with the series tied 1-1. Their most recent meeting came in 2023, when Pacific edged Eastern in a 3-2 contest.
This past weekend, the Eagles went 1-0-1 on their Hawaii road trip, earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Hawaii before rolling to a 3-0 victory over Hawaii Pacific.
Against the Rainbow Wahine, Eastern answered a second-half deficit in just 90 seconds, as senior midfielder Delani Walker scored her third goal of the season off crisp passes from Noelle Raczykowski and Chloe Pattison. Walker and Kendall Moore each finished with three shots, while goalkeeper Kamryn Willoughby tallied four saves—including two clutch stops late—to secure the draw.
The Eagles then carried that momentum into Sunday's dominant win over Hawaii Pacific, outshooting the Sharks 22-0 and earning 14 corner kicks. Maya Bossenbrook scored her first career goal, while Walker added two more to bring her season total to five. Behind a flawless performance from goalkeeper Mallory Osborn, Eastern posted its third shutout of the season and improved to 4-2-3 overall.
Women's Volleyball – Eastern Volleyball Tournament; vs. Seattle University (Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.), at Washington State (Friday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m.), vs Gonzaga (Saturday, Sept. 20 at 11 a.m.) - Get Tickets
Eastern Washington Volleyball is set to host the Eastern Volleyball Tournament this week, welcoming Seattle University, Montana, and Gonzaga to Reese Court. The Eagles will take the floor against Seattle U on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m., and then face Gonzaga on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 11 a.m. Sandwiched between those matchups, Eastern will head to Pullman for a non-tournament contest against Washington State on Friday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m.
The Eagles enter the week coming off a breakthrough performance at the Nevada Invitational, where they earned their first win of the season with a five-set victory over Pacific. Eastern finished the weekend 1-2, moving to 1-8 overall, but showed significant growth.
Head coach Jon Haruguchi praised the team's resilience and chemistry, with standout performances from Kalista Lukovich (40 kills, 30 digs), Alyssa Radke (33 kills, 15 blocks), Anna Bolich (59 assists), and Jailyn Davenport (29 assists). Defensively, Elle Bruegman led with 43 digs, while Judith Bolomboy anchored the net with 27 blocks, including 14 in the win over Pacific. The tournament featured tightly contested battles, and Eastern's grit and improved execution highlighted a weekend of progress and momentum-building.
2025 EWU football tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for all five home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. Group tickets, fundraising options and single game tickets are also available. For more info, visit goeags.com/fbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
2025 EWU volleyball tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for all ten home games at Reese Court in Cheney. For more info, visit https://goeags.evenue.net/list/VB or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
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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