CHENEY, Wash. — The 102nd Homecoming is here for Eastern Washington University and multiple Eagle teams are at home to enjoy the festivities. Football returns to Roos Field for the second time this season to take on another Big Sky opponent. Soccer hosts the preseason No. 1 team on Thursday before going back on the road Sunday. Men's and Women's golf compete in their third tournaments for the season to start the week. Volleyball hosts its alumni game against a rival on Friday. Cross Country has a close-to-home meet on Saturday in Spokane.
Football - vs. Portland State (Saturday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. PST) - Get Tickets
Eastern Washington is back to celebrate Homecoming this week for its first Big Sky game on the Red. EWU hosts Portland State on Saturday, with a 4 p.m. kickoff. The game will be broadcasted live on SWX and streamed on ESPN+. The game can be heard on 700 ESPN and the Varsity App with the voices of the Eagles, Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen.
The Eagles opened conference play last week in Bozeman, Mont. against No. 4/6 Montana State. The Bobcats controlled the game from the start, winning 57-3. MSU blitzed Eastern to start, scoring 24 points in the first quarter and took a 30-3 lead into halftime. In the second half, the Bobcats scored four more touchdowns to complete the route. The EWU offense was limited to 207 yards of total offense, while MSU put up 580.
Eastern blocked its fourth kick of the season on Saturday, as Isaiah Perez got a hand on a MSU 42-yard field goal. It was Perez's second this season. EWU leads the Big Sky and is tied for second in the FCS in total blocked kicks or punts.
The defense recorded three sacks against the Bobcats, and have multiple sacks in four-of-five games this season. Ben Voigtlaender and Samarai Anderson each earned their first career sacks, while Isaiah Perez and Trevor Thurman added 0.5 to their career totals. Read Sunn leads the team with 2.0 sacks overall this season, while Perez and Tylin Jackson each have 1.5 to their names.
Redshirt-freshman Ambrose Marsh snatched his first career interception in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game. Marsh finished with three tackles, making two solo against the Bobcats. He is tied for fourth on the team with 22.0 tackles this season.
Nate Bell has been key to EWU rushing game this season, carrying 55 times for 337 yards (5.6 per carry average). Bell has six rushing touchdowns that is tied for second in the Big Sky and ninth in the nation.
Women's Soccer – vs. Montana (Thursday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m.) - Free Admission, at Sacramento State (Sunday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m.)
Eastern Washington looks to build on the momentum from its 2–0 win over Idaho State as it enters another key week of Big Sky play. The Eagles will host longtime rival Montana on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. before traveling to Sacramento to face the Hornets on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m.
EWU split its opening conference weekend, bouncing back from a 2–1 road setback at Weber State with a convincing shutout victory at home. Against the Wildcats, the Eagles fell behind early but showed grit in the second half, as Noelle Raczykowski found the back of the net and goalkeeper Kamryn Willoughby made several clutch saves to keep her team within striking distance.
Returning to Cheney, Eastern delivered a complete performance. Delani Walker opened the scoring with a first-half penalty, and Chloe Pattison added a highlight-reel strike from distance to secure the win. Willoughby and the back line anchored the shutout, holding Idaho State to just three shots on goal.
The results move Eastern to 5-4-3 overall and 1-1 in Big Sky action heading into this week's matchups.
Women's Golf - vs. Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational (Monday-Tuesday, Sep. 29-30, All Day)
Eastern travels west this week for the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational, taking place today and tomorrow in Tacoma. EWU plays 36 holes today and 18 tomorrow at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club. Taking the course for the Eagles this week are Berkley Ledesma, Lexie Mahler, Esha Reddy, Brooke Mahler and Spencer Cerenzia.
This past week, Eastern hosted the Kalispel Invitational, and placed 10th on the team leaderboard. Ledesma posted her second Top-20 finish of the season, shooting 221 (+5) to tie for 12th on the individual leaderboard.
Lexie Mahler continued to improve in her freshman season, shooting 26 (+10) to finish tied for 29th
Men's Golf - vs. Mark Simpson Invitational (Monday-Tuesday, Sep. 29-30, All Day)
EWU is in Colorado for the Mark Simpson Invitational for the next two days, playing two rounds today and one tomorrow. The tournament is being held in Erie, Colo. at the Colorado National Golf Course. Eastern's lineup for the Invite is led by Eli McNelly, Cal Anderson, Hogan Park, Lucas Hughes and Zach Miller.
The Eagles were back on the course last week at The Tindall, played in Bremerton. At The Tindal, EWU recorded an 877 (+13) in the two-day competition. McNelly tied for 37th on the individual leaderboard after shooting 218 (+4) for the tournament. Anderson and Park each shot 219 (+3) to finish in a tie for 44th.
Women's Volleyball – vs. Idaho (Friday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.) - Get Tickets
The Eagles will look to secure their first conference win when they host Idaho on Friday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. inside Reese Court. Eastern has dominated the rivalry in recent years, winning the last nine meetings with the Vandals, including three straight sweeps dating back to 2020.
This past week, EWU opened Big Sky play with a pair of hard-fought matches but came up short, falling in five sets to Montana State at home and in four sets on the road at Northern Colorado. Against the Bobcats, the Eagles rallied from a slow start to claim sets two and three, powered by strong serving, disciplined blocking, and balanced play at the net. Despite standout performances from Kalista Lukovich, Anna Bolich, and Judith Bolomboy, Eastern narrowly dropped the decisive fifth set.
On Saturday, the Eagles showed more flashes of promise against the Bears. After a dominant second-set win, EWU battled deep into extra points in the third before falling just short. Lukovich led the attack with 15 kills, Bolich posted a double-double with 30 assists and 13 digs, and Bolomboy added 10 kills along with key contributions on defense. Still, Eastern was unable to capitalize in the critical moments, moving to 0-2 in Big Sky play and 2-12 overall.
Cross Country – at Whitman Open (Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m.)
Easterns Cross Country teams look to carry their momentum from this past week at the UC Riverside Invitational to Walla Walla, Wash. for the Whitman Open starting at 11 a.m.
Eastern Washington cross country delivered a strong showing in California, racing in a deep field of 23 programs. The Eagle men placed ninth with 258 points, highlighted by Marcus Lemon's 29th-place finish in 24:24.1. He was backed by Conner Wirth in 42nd and Owen Higgins in 70th, with Grady Fournier, Charlie Ledwith, Trajn Swalstad, and Lucas Spurling rounding out the scoring lineup.
On the women's side, EWU finished 10th with 328 points. Rylee Brandon led the way in 33rd at 21:05.2, followed by Rhiannon Davis in 66th and Sara Sanders in 69th, while Nattie Ruzauskas, Adrienne Root, Emma Thomlinson, and Lexi Meyer completed the scoring.
Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Erin Tucker praised both squads for their progress, pointing to PRs across the board and highlighting the team's energy and confidence. "We are getting better every week, and as a coach you could not ask for more," Tucker said, adding that the Eagles are well on track to make noise in championship season.
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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