CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington fell to Northern Colorado in straight sets, 25-21, 25-21, 25-15.
Kalista Lukovich led the Eagles with 12 kills and added eight digs, while
Bria Carlisle finished with five kills on a .250 hitting percentage.
Jailyn Davenport totaled 18 assists, 10 digs and three kills on five swings, while
Elle Bruegman led the back row with 11 digs and added four assists and two service aces. Eastern finished with 30 kills, 41 digs and four service aces.
Eastern Washington battled throughout the opening set but fell to Northern Colorado, 25-21. The Eagles built an early 9-6 advantage and later stretched the lead to 16-13 behind kills from Lukovich and
Aspyn Reed. Northern Colorado responded to pull even at 16-16 before taking control late, but Eastern stayed within striking distance as a Bruegman service ace cut the deficit to 22-21. The Bears answered with three straight kills to close out the set.
Eastern stayed within striking distance throughout the second set but again fell, 25-21. The Eagles trailed 16-12 before
Reese Betschart helped spark a 4-0 run, recording a service ace and a kill to pull Eastern even at 16-16. UNC responded with a 4-0 run of its own to regain control, but kills from
Sidney Gray and Lukovich kept the Eagles close late. Northern Colorado closed out the frame to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.
Northern Colorado pulled away in the third set to secure a 25-15 win and complete the sweep. Eastern stayed close early, with a Bruegman service ace tying the frame at 3-3, before UNC used a 6-1 stretch to build a 9-5 advantage. Lukovich provided a spark with three kills during the middle of the set, but the Bears extended their lead to 17-9. Eastern continued to battle late before UNC closed out the match.
Up Next
Eastern will return home to take on Northern Arizona on Oct. 15 at 6:00 p.m., then against Portland State on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12:00 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.
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.