SEATTLE, Wash. – Eastern Washington picked up its first win of the 2026 season with a straight-set victory over North Dakota (25-17, 25-23, 25-17) to open the Seattle U Tournament.
"I'm very pleased with how we opened up the season," said Head coach
Jon Haruguchi. "It's always challenging to walk into a match not really having much intel on your opponent so I'm glad we just rolled with it. We got some good pushback in the second set and were able to refocus, center ourselves and be where our feet were. Now we have to prepare for another test tomorrow in Chicago State and keep building off the positive things we saw today."
Kalista Lukovich led the Eagles offensively with 17 kills, the only Eastern player to reach double figures. At the net, the Eagles combined for 12 blocks, led by
Sidney Gray with eight total blocks, including one solo and seven block assists. Lukovich and
Elle Bruegman each recorded seven digs, while
Jailyn Davenport dished out 30 assists.
North Dakota struck first in the opening set with a block and an ace before
Judith Bolomboy put Eastern on the board with a kill from the right side. The Eagles pulled even at 6-6 and took their first lead, 7-6, following a North Dakota error.
Eastern then put together a 4-0 run to force UND into its first timeout. The Eagles maintained control from there, using a balanced attack and a strong presence at the net to pull away. Eastern totaled seven blocks in the opening frame and secured the 25-17 win.
The Eagles carried the momentum into the second set, taking an early 2-1 lead before play was halted for approximately 20 minutes due to a North Dakota injury. Eastern came out of the delay with a 4-0 run and extended its lead to 8-3 following a Lukovich service ace.
Freshman
Jade Livingston made an immediate impact off the bench, serving an ace to give Eastern a 16-9 advantage. North Dakota responded late, cutting the lead to two and forcing the Eagles to use a timeout. Gray and
Aspyn Reed stopped the rally with a block to close out the set, 25-23, and give Eastern a 2-0 advantage.
Eastern started fast in the third, building an 11-4 lead behind its front-row attack and a Bruegman ace. North Dakota battled back, eventually pulling within one at 15-14.
The Eagles responded with their biggest run of the set, scoring six straight points with Lukovich at the service line and Gray controlling the net. Eastern maintained the advantage down the stretch, with
Reese Betschart adding an ace before the Eagles closed out the set, 25-17, to complete the sweep.
Eastern returns to action Saturday, Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. against Chicago State for its second match of the Seattle U Tournament.
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.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
