VOLLEYBALL WINS FIFTH-CONSECUTIVE BIG SKY REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP WITH VICTORY OVER EWU
Sophomore Lisa Beauchene |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento State volleyball team swept Eastern Washington, 3-0 (30-17, 30-26, 30-23), Friday night at Hornet Gym to claim its fifth-consecutive Big Sky Conference regular season championship. The Hornets, who have also won 16-consecutive conference matches at home, will host the Big Sky Tournament Nov. 15-17.Sacramento State junior Jayme Wright led all players with 13 kills and 12 digs and senior Tasman Dwyer added 11 kills and a match-high five blocks as the Hornets controlled the match throughout. The Hornets hit .302 as a team and led Eastern Washington in virtually every statistical category including kills (54-39), assists (47-37), team blocks (8.0-6.0) and hitting percentage (.302-.144).
With the victory, the Hornets improved their record to 18-8 overall and 11-2 in the Big Sky. Sacramento State closes its regular season schedule tomorrow at home against Portland State at 4 p.m. Eastern Washington, which had won six in a row and was the second-place team in the conference, dropped to 17-4 and 9-4 in the Big Sky.
Five separate Hornets recorded at least nine kills including Wright, Dwyer, Kazmiera Imrie (10 kills, .304 hitting percentage), Lisa Beauchene (nine kills, .438 hitting percentage, 38 assists) and Alison Gahr (nine kills, four blocks).
Eastern Washington was led by Janelle Ruen’s 11 kills and 10 digs as no other Eagle notched more than seven kills. Eastern Washington hit .194, .163 and .081 in games one through three, respectively.
Sacramento State broke open a 6-6 tie in game one by going on a 16-4 run to take a commanding 22-10 lead. The Hornets cruised from there as the team hit .633, committing zero errors with 19 kills in 30 attempts. Dwyer was perfect in the frame, totalling eight kills in eight attempts.
Both teams went back and forth in game two before Sacramento State went on a 4-0 run to take a 27-23 lead. EWU would get no closer than three points the rest of the way. Wright and Beauchene each tallied a game-high five kills.
The Hornets led from start to finish in game three as the team led by as many eight points. A Gahr kill ended the game and the match.
As hosts and No. 1 seed for the Big Sky Tournament, the Hornets receive a first-round bye in the tourney and will play Friday, Nov. 16, against an opponent yet to be decided. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Sacramento State has won three of the last four Big Sky Tournament championships and will be looking to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-consecutive season.
NOTE: Every player on Sacramento State’s roster has won the Big Sky Conference regular-season championship each year of their respective careers.
