With the victory, Sacramento State improved to 15-4 overall and 3-0 in the Big Sky. The Hornets, who have now posted three-game sweeps in each of their last seven victories, have won three in a row and eight of the last nine. The team’s only blemish during that streak was a four-game loss on the road to ninth-ranked Santa Clara.

Off to its best record in 11 years, Sacramento State continued its recent dominance of Eastern Washington, winning for the eighth time in the teams’ last nine meetings against one another. Arguably Sacramento State’s biggest rival in the Big Sky Conference, the Hornets and Eagles have squared off in the Big Sky Tournament championship match each of the last six years, with Sacramento State coming out on top five times. The Hornets now lead the all-time series over Eastern Washington, 21-8, including a 14-2 mark at home.

With the loss, Eastern Washington, which lost seven players and four starters from last year’s team, dropped to 7-7 overall and 0-5 in the Big Sky. Sacramento State limited the Eagles to a .054 hitting percentage as the Hornets accumulated 11.5 team blocks, including five from both Franz and junior Lindsay Haupt, and four each from senior Leah Klemenhagen and freshman Anna Schoener.

Conversely, the Hornets hit .311 as Franz’s 14 kills accounted for over 30 percent of the team’s offense (43 kills, 10 errors, 106 total attacks). Recently named the Big Sky Player of the Week for the second time this year, Franz’s 14 kills were one shy of her career high as she had no errors in 22 attacks.

Klemenhagen had five kills and a .444 hitting percentage (5-1-9), Haupt had six kills and a .417 hitting percentage (6-1-12), and freshman Desireé Hoyum had three kills and a .600 hitting percentage (3-0-5). Hoyum had each of her three kills during the latter stages of the second game to help the Hornets overcome a 22-21 deficit and eventually win 30-23. Eastern Washington’s largest lead of the night was two points (3-1) early in the second frame.

Sacramento State senior libero Kristin Lutes posted a team-high 14 digs and freshman setter Melissa Melcher and senior Atlee Hubbard each tallied eight. The Hornets took advantage of nine service aces, including four from sophomore Rose Burke, three from Lutes and two from Hubbard.

Eastern Washington was paced by Chrystal Johnson’s 12 kills and 16 digs. Kerri Beck (six kills, .385 hitting percentage) was the only Eagle with more than one kill to hit better than .135.

Sacramento State returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 30, when the team hosts Portland State at 7 p.m. The match will mark a showdown between the only two undefeated teams remaining in the Big Sky. With its victory tonight over Idaho State, Portland State improved to 5-0 in the conference. The Vikings finished in second place in last year’s Big Sky standings and dealt the Hornets their only Big Sky loss of the 2005 season (PSU won, 3-2 in Portland).