Volleyball defeats 20th-ranked team

This archived article was written by: Kayla Newman

USU Eastern’s women’s volleyball team has been on the road the past month working hard in preseason tournaments to get ready for conference. With team goals set high, the team tackled two out of-state, back-to-back tournaments.
After a weekend is Scottsdale, Ari., the Lady Eagles returned with two wins and four loses. They defeated Central Arizona Community College and Scottsdale Arizona Community College.
“These were very successful wins. The tournament was a great learning experience for our team. It really helped us to figure out the things we need to work on before beginning conference,” Lindy Blumel, a freshmen on the Eagle’s volleyball team, said.
Being far from their home court, the ladies battled through their tournaments and gained great knowledge of what needed to be fixed, so that the team could be more successful.
With only one more preseason tournament left before conference play, they hit the court and weight room getting ready for their next tournament in Nebraska.
The team headed to Scottsbulff, Neb., where the Eagles played four games; winning three and losing one. After a loss against Western Nebraska Community College, the Eagles came back ready to win and win they did. They beat Willston State College, Sheridan College and Casper College, the 20th-ranked team in the nation.
The Eagles came out on top. “Beating the 20th ranked team in the nation gave our team a chance to see what we are capable of. We knew that if we played our best game and gave it everything we had, we could win. We have a very strong team this year and we are all very excited for conference to start. We have been working hard on and off the court,” Shania Hurst, a returning sophomore, said.
Now diving into conference the Eagles are eager to hit the court. With one of toughest conferences and nationally ranked teams, the women are working hard to be ready to go. This will be the year to watch as this is one of the strongest volleyball teams to pass through USU Eastern.