After a win in the opening match of the Mark Twain Hotels Invitational, the Eastern volleyball team dropped its next two matches to finish in third place in the four team tournament.

The tournament started off on a good note for the Panthers as they disposed of the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers in four games. Eastern lost the first match in the series 30-22, but rebounded to take the next three games 30-22, 30-20 and 30-19.

Junior outside hitter Erica Gerth was the star for the Panthers, connecting on 14 kills and two service aces for an impressive .379 hitting percentage. The El Paso native recorded a team high 18 digs in the four-game series.

Helping Gerth in the victory was fellow junior Shanna Ruxer, who added 12 kills and seven blocks for the Panthers. Ruxer had a hitting percentage of .529 on the evening to give the middle hitter nine career matches with a hitting percentage of over .400

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well for the Panthers on day two of the tournament. The combination of the Bradley Braves’ Lindsay Stalzer and Jenna Passman proved too much for the Panthers in Bradley’s three-game sweep.

Stalzer, a sophomore middle blocker, had 15 kills, six service aces and four defensive digs against the Panthers, and was named tournament most valuable player after she recorded 26 kills in 55 combined attempts in the Braves’ three games.

Passman also had a wonderful morning against the Panthers with seven kills, three digs and a .500 hitting percentage.

Things did not improve for the Panthers in the tournament finale against Bowling Green State University. The Falcons made short work of Eastern in three games, (30-18. 30-26, 30-26) thanks to the play of Susie Norris and Samantha Rennau.

The senior Norris pounded out 20 kills to go along with a .529 hitting percentage to help sweep Eastern. Rennu, a senior from Washington, Ill., also was in the middle of the action with six kills and a .308 hitting percentage.

Although the Panthers were swept by the Braves and Falcons, Eastern’s sophomore middle hitter Megan Kennedy said the two losses weren’t a case of being outclassed.

“We knew we were well matched,” Kennedy said. “We played well together, but we just couldn’t finish off the games.”

Despite the 1-2 weekend record, Gerth was named as a member of the all-tournament team, after her 34 kill, 38 dig and seven service ace performance.

“Erica had a solid tournament,” Kennedy said. “She picked us up the whole weekend.”

Joining Gerth on the team was Stalzer, Passman, Norris, Nadia Bedricky of Bowling Green and Maryland-Baltimore County’s Jocelyn Teoh.

Host Bradley won the tournament. Bowling Green finished second with Eastern and Maryland-Baltimore County third and fourth respectively.

While the wins didn’t come in the tournament, Kennedy said teamwork was formed while in Peoria.

“We learned to stick together as a team,” Kennedy said. “We were always ready and never in a lull.”