By Calvin Jensen, WVB Coaching Staff:
In the biggest home game in program history, the 3rd ranked USU Eastern women ‘s volleyball team faced 2nd ranked Snow College Wednesday night. With a sold out crowd inside the BDAC, the Lady Eagles gave their fans something to cheer about.
In the first set, the Lady Eagles shot out to a 4-0 start but that lead would quickly dwindle as the team struggled to execute at the net. With the momentum back and forth, the Lady Eagles found themselves with a 20-16 advantage with the help of Rachel West and her heavy arm and powerful presence on the front row. However, errors would once again plague the Lady Eagles, allowing Snow to creep back in and ultimately defeat USU Eastern in the first set, 23-25.
Knowing a 2nd set win would be crucial in their chance of upsetting the Badgers, the Lady Eagles shot out to a 7-2 lead. Halfway through the Badgers slowly gained on USU Eastern and eventually took the lead 13-12. A point for point battle began and with the game tied 22-22, right side hitter Sunny Perry hammered down the kills and propelled the team to a 25-23 2nd set win.
The caliber of the two programs was evident in the 3rd set as both teams traded points with one another with no significant lead earned by either team. A dig and immediate block by West welcomed new momentum on the court and the Lady Eagles capitalized on that momentum as Kahea Nihipali took her turn dominating on the offensive and defensive side of the net. That momentum would pave the way for a 25-22 3rd set win.
Going to a tie-breaking 5th set was not an option for the Lady Eagles as they were determined to make a statement. The defense stepped up at the right moment with crucial digs by Emma Ricks and Kennedy Poulton. A noticeable change in focus by the Lady Eagles late in the set allowed USU Eastern to take a significant advantage led by outside hitters Alyssa Simmons and Kamryn Wiese. Although the Badgers once again made a late run, the Lady Eagles indeed made a statement as they defeated 2nd ranked Snow College with a 4th set score of 25-19.
“The girls have worked so incredibly hard to prepare for this game and I couldn’t be prouder. They bring so much energy to the court. In 17 games, I have yet to see any signs of quitting when we find ourselves down, which is remarkable. The crowd was amazing tonight and we are so thankful for the support that we receive from our community; it makes such a big difference for our team and I hope we gave our fans their money’s worth tonight,” said head coach Danielle Jensen.
Freshman outside hitter Kamryn Wiese led the Eagles with 15 kills in the matchup followed by 12 kills from freshman middle blocker Rachel West and 12 from sophomore right side Sunny Perry. West also dominated at the net with 7 blocks while sophomore middle blocker Kahea Nihipali added 5 on the night. Freshman setter Camber Dodson had 23 assists with sophomore Avery Best contributing 20. Protecting the court was sophomore libero Emma Ricks with 10 digs with Alyssa Simmons close behind with 8.
#3 USU Eastern (15-2, 1-0) will remain at home Thursday for a back-to-back SWAC competition as they take on the College of Southern Nevada (0-1) inside the BDAC. Spectators are welcome and limited tickets will be sold at the door. Masks are required 100% of the time.
**Photo by Jeff Barrett