This week in Eastern Athletics: September 2 – 9

CHENEY, Washington — A new month and the Eastern Washington track and field season has just begun. The football team is playing its second straight game at Roos Field and is hoping to start the season 2-0 after a season-opening win last Thursday. After a two-week road break to start the season, the soccer team returns to Cheney for two games. The volleyball team will make a short road trip on Friday to prepare for next Monday's home game.

Football – vs. Drake (Saturday, September 7, 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time) – Buy tickets

Eastern has its second home game this week, hosting Drake on Saturday. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on SWX and streamed live on ESPN+. Follow every game live on 700 ESPN and the Varsity App with the voices of the Eagles, Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen.

EWU is 1-0 this season after a 42-27 win over Monmouth in the season opener last Thursday. Eastern took a 14-0 lead before the Hawks answered with two touchdowns. The Eagles then scored 28 unanswered points and took control of the game. The offense was well balanced, scoring 278 rushing yards and 282 passing yards. In the game, Eastern held the ball for 37 minutes.

Experienced wide receiver Efton Chism III reached a career high with 173 yards on 12 catches and scored three touchdowns. Chism's performance earned him his first Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week. Kekoa-Visperas also had a career game in which he threw five touchdown passes and completed 89.3 percent of his passes – the second-best percentage for a single game in program history.

Football – vs. UC Davis (Thursday, September 5, 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time), Against. Hawaii (Sunday, September 8, 1 p.m. Pacific Time) – Free admission

After its four-game road trip to open the season, the Eastern Washington women's soccer team (2-1-1) will finally play at home this week. Eastern hosts the UC Davis Aggies (3-2-0) for its first home game this Thursday, Sept. 5, at 4 p.m. at EWU. Eastern then hosts the University of Hawaii (2-4-0) this Sunday, Sept. 8, at 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Eastern will face the Aggies in what will be the fifth meeting between the two schools. The Eagles have a 1-3 record overall against the Aggies and met last year when the Aggies won 3-0 without conceding a goal. UC Davis played this Sunday and lost 0-2 at home to #10 Santa Clara.

Eastern hosts Hawaii for its first road game of the season. In its last game, Hawaii beat North Dakota State 4-1 to end a four-game losing streak. The Eagles have a 2-2 record against Hawaii overall. The two teams last faced each other a decade ago in 2014, when Hawaii defeated the Eagles 3-1. Eastern will be hoping to turn things around, as its record against Big West Conference teams is 11-22-3.

With last week's tie against Southern Utah, Eastern is now 2-1-1 and is off to its best start since the 2018 season. The Eagles have already matched their win total from last season and have already surpassed their road win total (2) from the last two seasons combined. Eastern will play five of its next six non-conference games at the EWU soccer field before Big Sky Conference play begins next month.

After the weekend's games, the Eagles lead the Big Sky Conference in points average (1,750), corner kicks (28) and penalty kills (2-2), and rank second in goals scored (7) and goals allowed (2).

Volleyball – at WSU (Friday, September 6, 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time)

The Eagles have started this season with a 1-2 start, with a win over Cal State Bakersfield and losses to Utah Valley and UMKC. Despite this rocky start, outstanding performances from Kalista Lukovich And Bri Gunderson have prevailed. Lukovich delivered two consecutive double-doubles, 38 kills and a .239 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Gunderson contributed significantly with 13 blocks, including six against UMKC.


As the Eagles prepare to face WSU on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. in Pullman, they will look to build on those individual successes. Lukovich's offensive skills and Gunderson's defensive prowess will be crucial as EWU looks to improve its record and build momentum for the rest of the season.

 

Season and single tickets for the 2024 football season are now available. Ticket packages can be purchased online at goeags.com/tickets through your Paciolan account, by calling 509-359-6059, or by emailing [email protected].

Season tickets and single tickets for the volleyball season with nine home games are now available! To purchase, go to www.goeags.com or call the Eastern Washington University Ticket Office at (509) 359-6059.

Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for just $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field and enjoy exclusive EAF perks like season tickets and priority at tailgating events, invitations to special events, exclusive access and more. Visit For more information, visit goeags.com/eaf.

ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 varsity sports, six for men and eight for women, both as a learning opportunity for the most athletically gifted students and as an enrichment of 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 enrollment numbers and academic goals.

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