TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (September 26, 2019) - The No. 9 Salt Lake Community College volleyball team is accustomed to playing nationally-ranked foes throughout the season, so playing No. 15 USU Eastern to open conference play wasn't a shock to the Bruins.

SLCC answered the challenge by earning a 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-19) win over USU Eastern to start Scenic West Athletic Conference play undefeated Thursday, earning the victory by winning the final three sets. The victory helps boost Salt Lake's overall record to 18-5 and a mark of 1-0 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference.

After falling narrowly in the first set, the Bruins came back to earn a victory in the second set by taking an early 12-4 lead and extending from there. The third set was more tense, with both teams tied at 20-20. Salt Lake took an advantage as back-to-back kills by Kenadee Christensen helped the Bruins gain a 22-20 lead, which they extended to a set-victory on a Sammi Johnston ace. The fourth-set win featured Salt Lake getting up early and then winning points consistently, with a USU Eastern service error ending the match. 

Salt Lake finished with 49 kills, holding a narrow edge over the Eagles. The Bruins took control on the net also as they finished with 16 kills, alongside holding USU Eastern to a hitting percentage of just .107. Individually, Ariane Pola finished with 15 kills to lead the Bruins, with Christensen finishing with 13 kills. 

The Bruins will host Colorado Northwestern Community College on Saturday inside the Lifetime Activities Center. The match is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.