Top-seeded Eagles roll

As expected, heavily favored Eastern Washington easily dismantled Weber State in three sets in the semi-finals of the Big Sky Volleyball Championships at the Stott Center Saturday evening.

After rolling past the Wildcats by the score of 25-18 in each of the first two sets, the No.1 seeded Eagles faced a resilient Weber State squad that would not go away in the third and final set.

In the first two sets there were a combined three lead changes and ties, however, in the hotly contested final set the Eagles and Wildcats tied the score six times and exchanged the lead on three occasions.

Big Sky Player of the Year Hayley Hills led the way for the Eagles, as the junior outside hitter amassed 18 kills to go along with four digs and three assists. Playing second fiddle to Hills, senior outside hitter Chelsea Ross added eight kills and a match-high six digs.

In the loss, Weber State junior outside hitter Chelsea Bair performed admirably, connecting on a team-high nine kills and adding four digs. However, Bair’s nine kills came on 38 attempts with eight errors and a less-than-stellar .026 hitting percentage.

The Eagles will advance to play second seed Portland State in the tournament’s championship match Saturday at 7 p.m.