University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
Eastern Washington
Volleyball heads to Cheney for first road trip
1/29/2021 5:06:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado Volleyball found its rhythm in its second matchup against Montana State on Monday. This weekend, the Bears look to continue the winning moment with a trip to Cheney to face Eastern Washington.
Who: Northern Colorado (1-1, 1-1) vs. Eastern Washington (1-2, 0-2)
When: January 31 & February 1 | 4:30 & 4:30 p.m. MT
Where: Reese Court
How To Follow: PlutoTV Ch. 1053 | Live Stats | UNCBearsVB
Quick Sets
Northern Colorado kicked off its season with a series split against Montana State, exchanging sweeps.
The Bears are one of six teams to begin the opening weekend with a split in Big Sky play.
Sophomore transfer from Kansas, Rachel Hickman made a huge impact, leading UNC with 25 kills against the Bobcats, 17 of them coming in Monday's three-set sweep.
Outside hitter Lauren Hinrichs ranks third in the conference in hitting percentage (.481) in this young season. Senior setter Daisy Schultz sits second the Big Sky in assists at 11.67 per set.
As a team, Northern Colorado ranks first in assists (13.5/s), kills (14.33/s) and aces (2.17/s).
The last time the Bears made the trip to Cheney, UNC swept the Eagles (25-21, 25-17, 25-19). Taylor Muff led the way with 12 kills, with Kailey Jo Ince right behind with 11, hitting .308. Schultz ended with 31 assists, guiding the team to a .259 hitting percentage.
Freshmen Syd Cole and Lauren Strain each saw their first action in the Blue and Gold last weekend against MSU.
Last Time Out
Northern Colorado responded well to dropping the first match of the season to Montana State. The Bears rebounded with a sweep, led by 17 kills from newcomer Rachel Hickman.
Scouting Eastern Washington
Third-year head coach Leslie Flores-Cloud returns four starters and nine total players from last year's team. Amongst the 10 newcomers include four transfers (Sophia Spoja, Maya McClellan, McKenna Russell and Lindsey Russell).
Though EWU dropped each of its opening two matches against Weber State, Lindsey Russell led the Big Sky in assists at 12.00 per set. Catelyn Linke also posted 35 digs in eight sets over the weekend.
History Against the Eagles
All-time, UNC is 20-10 against the Eagles. Northern Colorado has won four straight matches against Eastern Washington dating back to 2017.
Super Bowl weekend features another big matchup. The Bears welcome Sacramento State to the Bank of Colorado on Sunday and Monday. Match times are set for 1 and 6 p.m. MT, respectively.
To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
