Golden Eagles earn two five-set wins at Bruin Bash

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The CSI volleyball team gutted out a pair of five-set victories on Friday of the Bruin Bash at Salt Lake Community College, knocking off Trinity Valley before finishing the day by defeating Eastern Wyoming to move to 11-2 on the year.

In game one, it was a showdown between top 10 nationally ranked squads, as the 7th-ranked Golden Eagles outlasted the 8th-ranked Cardinals 25-19, 18-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-10. The win marks the third nationally ranked victory for CSI and their first since knocking off then #3 Northeastern on August 22nd. Nana Lobzhanidze led the way offensively with 17 kills, while sophomore setter Dalayni Brindley dished out 33 assists. Defensively, the Golden Eagles were once again paced by Emerson Heatwole with 17 digs, and Laura Grasel was a force at the net, as she had 12 block assists in the win.

In game two, the Golden Eagles had to dig deep and rally late to avoid the upset at the hands of Eastern Wyoming. After falling behind after three sets, the Golden Eagles regrouped and finished strong, pulling out the 20-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-13, 15-12 win.

Sophomore Vivian Goto rose to the occasion as she returned to the starting lineup and led the Golden Eagles with 13 kills, while Lobzhanidze added 12 kills. Brindley bested her previous season high, set just one game prior, with 36 assists, while Emma Pannell did a little bit of everything in the victory, finishing with 11 kills, 13 digs and a block assist.

The Golden Eagles will now gear up for a big day two in Salt Lake, as they prepare to take on Odessa College at 9:00 a.m. followed by a showdown with the #1 team in the country, Miami Dade at 2:00 p.m.