SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The CSI Volleyball team made their way down to Salt Lake for the Region 18 tournament with one goal in mind, and on Wednesday night they got one step closer to that goal as they swept USU-Eastern 25-20, 25-20, 25-18 to clinch their spot in the championship game.
The last time these two teams squared off USU-Eastern upset Southern Idaho on their home court, but that seemed to be a distant memory as the Golden Eagles took advantage of 10 service aces and a .271 hitting percentage to cruise to the win.
Vivian Goto led the offensive attack, finishing with a game high 13 kills, while
Laura Grasel pitched in seven kills. That same duo was a force on the defensive side as well, both accounting for four block assists, and Goto with nine digs. Four-time Conference Defensive Player of the Week,
Emerson Heatwole led the way with 12 digs, while the setter pair of
Dalayni Brindley and
Mary Irwin had 18 and 14 assists, respectively. Goto, Irwin,
Emma Pannell and
Isadora Bueno each had a pair of service aces in the win.
The Golden Eagles now advance to the Region 18 championship game for the first time since 2023, where they will square off with top seeded and tournament host, Salt Lake at 1:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon. The Golden Eagles and the Bruins split a pair of regular season matches back on October 16th and 17th.
