By Calvin Jensen, USU Eastern Sports Information Contributor
Eager to take the court, USU Eastern women’s volleyball team participated in its first scrimmages of the year on Friday, Oct. 23. Although early in the season, the Lady Eagles seemed to start off, if not improve from, where they left off last fall.
Traveling to Salt Lake Community College on Friday, the Lady Eagles competed in two scrimmages against the Bruins. In the first game of the day, USU Eastern took a little bit of time adjusting to the competition, dropping the first two sets of the contest. After a few adjustments on offense, the Lady Eagles dominated the third and fourth sets, which set up a point for point battle in the fifth. With both teams eyeing the victory, USU Eastern ultimately came up short by a score of 17-15 and a game one loss.
Returning to the court later that afternoon, the Lady Eagles looked to bounce back. Errors again prevented USU Eastern from picking up the first set win; however, following an intense break between sets, the team came together and created the energy needed to pick up three straight wins to defeat SLCC 3-1 in game two.
“We have a young team and you could tell they weren’t quite sure what to expect in those first couple sets,” said head coach Danielle Jensen. “This court time in the off-season is crucial in helping them understand the competition and know the roles that they have to own to be successful. These scrimmages give us a great opportunity to move players around and help us see where our strengths are and what we need to work on going forward.”
Then, on Monday, the team traveled across the mountain to Snow College to take on the Badgers. The Lady Eagles anticipated a strong and competitive matchup with Snow after a tough 2-3 loss in the SWAC Championship last fall.
The Lady Eagles were ready for the matchup; their passion and focus was made known from the time they stepped on the court. In game one, in the best of the three sets, USU Eastern defeated Snow 2-1 in the early afternoon. Later that evening, in front of a rowdy Snow crowd, the Lady Eagles were unphased and unstoppable, dominating the Badgers in a 3-0 thrilling victory.
“Our girls wanted these wins and they were going to do whatever it took to get them. It was just a fun game to be engaged in,” said Jensen. “Our offense and defense really stepped up during every set and the hard work they have been putting in was on full display that night. The energy on the court was elevated throughout each set, which made it very exciting.”
USU Eastern will host Salt Lake Community College in two scrimmages on Friday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. and again at 12 p.m. inside the BDAC. The following day, Saturday, Nov. 14, the Lady Eagles will host the College of Southern Idaho at 10 a.m. and Snow College at 2 p.m. Currently, spectators are welcome, but face masks and social distancing are required.
Visit www.usueasternathletics.com to view the Lady Eagles fall scrimmages as well as any date or time changes.