Eagles fall to Cougars in four
PULLMAN, WASH. — Eastern falls to 1-3 on the season after falling to Washington State in four sets (25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 19-25).
Jannie Blake collected her fist double-double of the season with xx assists and xx digs. On the offensive front for the Eagles, Bri Gunderson recorded 10 kills, while Tanai Jenkins was a force at the net with six blocks, one solo and five assisted.
The match was a thrilling contest, starting with Eastern and WSU battling back and forth in set one. Gunderson's impressive kill gave Eastern a strong start, but WSU soon took control with back-to-back blocks, forcing the Eagles to call their first timeout. WSU held a five-point lead until Kalista Lukovich's serving and key plays from Quincy Moran, Jenkins, and Sadie Bacon brought Eastern back within one. Eastern tied it at 21-21 after a Cougar error, and Gunderson's subsequent back-to-back kills gave Eastern a 25-23 set win.
Eastern carried their momentum into set two, scoring the first point and keeping the match close. However, WSU gradually built a five-point lead. The Eagles chipped away and went on a 5-0 run to tie the set at 19-19, largely due to three WSU errors. Despite Eastern's efforts, WSU regained control, taking the set 25-21 and leveling the match.
The third set saw both teams exchanging points early on, with the score tied at 7-7 before WSU went on a 3-0 run, prompting an Eastern timeout. An ace from Makenna Collins and a Cougar error tied the score again at 11-11, but WSU surged ahead to a five-point lead by 20-15. Eastern's attempts to recover were unsuccessful as WSU took the set 25-21.
In the fourth set, Eastern initially led with a 4-0 run to go up 5-3, but WSU quickly reclaimed the lead, going up 9-7. A block by Bacon and Gunderson briefly closed the gap, but WSU pulled ahead again to a 12-8 lead, leading Eastern to their first timeout of the set. WSU maintained their lead and finished strong, winning the set 25-19 and securing the match 3-1.
Up Next
Eastern will return to Cheney for its first home match against Washington State at Reese Court, on Monday, Sept. 9 at 6 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.
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