UNC Closes Road Slate with Win at Eastern Washington

Saturday, November 11

Cheney, Wash.

3 p.m (MT)

University of Northern Colorado

15-10,10-4Big Sky

Eastern Washington

11-16,5-10Big Sky

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Northern Colo.	26	25	24	25	3
Eastern Wash.	24	19	26	21	1

11/11/2023 8:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Final Match Book (PDF)Updated Season Stats - BSC Only Updated Season Stats

By: Michael High, Assistant Director for Strategic Communications

CHENEY, Wash. – Northern Colorado recorded its fifth-straight victory with a four-set triumph over Eastern Washington at Reese Court Saturday.

Gabi Placide paced the offense for the Bears, while Michaela Boon anchored the back line and Cece Huhn defended the net.

Placide finished with 12 kills on 23 swings, while Boon notched a season-high 20 digs. Huhn rejected three attacks by the opposition and cashed in six of her nine swings. Syd Cole quarterbacked the offense, with 35 assists and six kills of her own.

In game one, UNC ran off four points consecutively to erase two set points and grab the 1-0 advantage. Placide accounted for two of the four points with successful attacks, while an attach error by the Eagles and a kill from Isabel Bennett completed the comeback.

Bookended by service errors from Eastern Washington, the Bears capitalized and pushed their 10-9 cushion out to 15-12 at the media break in game two. They continued to open the gap, pulling ahead 23-15 and forcing the host to utilize their second timeout. The Eagles responded and closed the margin to 23-19, before they committed a service error to provide UNC with five set points. Makenzie Harris slammed home the next winner, moving the Bears in front at the intermission.

Following the break, Eastern Washington overcame a set point and staved off a sweep by scoring the final three rallies of the game and forcing a fourth frame.

An attack error sliced the Bears gap to 21-20 and induced a timeout. They avoided a fifth-and-final game by recording four of the final five points, with four kills. Maddie Davies upped the tally to 22-20, before a kill by the opposition cut it back to one. Following a Zoe Gibbs kill, Placide notched the final two winners.

Combined with Montana State's win over Weber State, UNC joined the two teams in a three-way tie for second in the Big Sky standings with two matches remaining each.

QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH
Not our most efficient match offensively," head coach Lyndsey Oates said. "We were high error and just could not find a rhythm, but you must credit Eastern Washington for that as well. It was good to get out of there with the win, which is a tough place to play and it is a good team. I was glad that we were strong at the end of sets and we produced some plays when we needed to."

UNC STARTERS: Isabel Bennett, Syd Cole, Makenzie Harris, Cece Huhn, Gabi Placide, Brynn Reines and libero, Michaela Boon

UNC LEADERS:
UNC Kills Leader: Gabi Placide (12)
UNC Assists Leader: Syd Cole (35)
UNC Digs Leader: Michaela Boon (20)
UNC Blocks Leader: Cece Huhn (3)
UNC Ace Leader: Syd Cole and Bella LePore (2)

TEAM RECORDS SERIES NOTES:

UNC improved to 15-10, including 10-4 in Big Sky play, while the Eagles fell to 11-16, 5-10.
- The Bears extended their winning streak to five, the longest of the year.
UNC owns a 29-10 advantage over the Eagles in the all-time series, including 12 in succession.
The Bears swept the season series, coupling the 3-1 victory with a straight-set home victory to open Big Sky Conference play over Eastern Washington Sep. 21.
UNC won the last six contests in Cheney, with the Eagles claiming their last triumph Nov. 3, 2017.

TEAM NOTES

UNC outhit the Eagles .171-.101.
The Bears tallied eight blocks, while allowing 14.
UNC recorded six aces at the service line and surrendered two.
The teams combined for 36 ties and 21 lead changes.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Placide hit .391 and tallied a team-high 12 kills on 23 attacks, with two digs and a service ace.
Harris stuffed the stat sheet with eight kills, nine digs, one block and one assist.
Cole dished out 35 assists, with nine digs, six kills, two blocks and a pair of aces.
Boon notched a season high 20 digs, with three assists.
Huhn netted six kills, three blocks, three digs and one service ace.
Annette Baker totaled six kills, three digs and one block.
Maddie Davies accrued six kills, one block and a dig.
LePore dropped in a pair of aces, with eight digs.
Bennett accounted for two blocks and two kills.
Gibbs added two digs and a kill.
Bronwyn Timperley accounted for six digs, while Mia Liddiard chipped in with two.

UP NEXT
UNC returns to the friendly confines of Bank of Colorado Arena for the final weekend of the regular season. The Bears host Idaho State Thursday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m., before closing the campaign against Weber State at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18.

To purchase tickets, visit uncbears.com/tickets or call 970-351-4849. Tickets can also be purchased at the Campus Commons Ticket Office, Monday-Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.