The Eastern volleyball team will compete in its fourth and final regular season tournament this weekend as the Panthers travel to Portland for the Hilton Garden Inn/Viking Showcase.

Judging by the combined 27-4 win/loss record of the three opposing teams, the Panthers will go into the tournament as heavy underdogs while facing their best competition to date.

Eastern opens the tournament against host Portland State who comes into the tournament with a 7-2 record after winning two of three matches at a home tournament on Sept. 12-13. The Vikings defeated Maine in a five-game marathon and followed that win with a quick three game sweep of Chicago State before dropping the finale of the tournament to University of British Columbia in five games.

Although the Vikings head into the tournament with a loss, Eastern head coach Brenda Winkeler knows the Big Sky Conference member will give the Panthers a challenge.

“Portland State comes in with a good record, and they are led by one outside hitter on the right side,” Winkeler said. “Richell Wilson leads the team in kills per game and digs.”

Wilson, a senior from Kingman, Ariz., made her second straight appearance on the All-Big Sky second-team selection last year.

During the 2002 season Wilson averaged 4.19 kills per contest and had a hitting percentage of .183.

Portland State’s head coach Jeff Mozzochi said Wilson is turning into a complete player for the Vikings this year.

“Richell is doing a pretty good developing a complete game,” Mozzochi said. “She is focusing on her ball handling skills and her defense and has become a team leader for us.”

Junior outside hitter Niki Lambert is also a force to be reckoned with. The junior college transfer adds more than two kills a game and ranks fourth in hitting percentage at .271.

“Number 11 (Niki Lambert) is their second best player,” Winkeler said. “Lambert and Wilson are two people we need to stop.”

While the records may suggest otherwise, Mozzochi said his team is not taking the Panthers lightly.

“We prepare the same way for each team,” Mozzochi said. “We don’t know much about Eastern Illinois, but from what we have seen they look like a good solid team with a lot of weapons.”

Eastern will play its second match of the tournament against an undefeated San Francisco team. After a 6-25 record last year, the Dons have started this season 12-0. Only two of the Dons’ 12 matches have gone five games and San Francisco has already beaten Washington State, University of Texas El-Paso, San Jose State and Southern Illinois.

“San Francisco is a very good team,” Winkeler said. “They’re off to one of the best starts in school history and will be the toughest team to face.”

The key to the Dons’ success has been the play of outside hitter Brittanie Budinger. Last year, Budinger became the first player in Dons’ history to record 500 kills in a season, and her total of 962 career kills ranks seventh all-time on the school’s list.

“Brittanie Budinger leads the team,” Winkeler said. “She is very high in kills and is a good attacker.”

The final opponent for the Panthers will be the 8-2 Air Force Falcons. Much like San Francisco, Air Force is having a turnaround season. The Falcons went 8-22 last year but enter this tournament with an 8-2 record.

Delavane Diaz keys the Falcons squad. The senior outside hitter was named the Falcons most valuable player last year while leading the team in kills for the third consecutive year.

“Diaz had 41 kills in a game last week which was a Mountain West Conference and school record,” Winkeler said. “She is somebody we need to stop because she is averaging around five kills a game.”

On the Panthers offensive front look for Mary Welch to have another good weekend. The freshman is coming off a 19 kill performance in a five-game loss against Illinois State Sept. 13.

“Mary continues to get better,” Winkeler said. “She is improving and working on fine tuning her game.”

With a 3-7 record to date, Winkeler realizes the importance of putting together a few solid games before conference play starts up next week.

“Wins would be nice,” Winkeler said. “The competition is tough, but if we play well we’ll do good. We need to get a good feel on the court and our biggest goal is not to be tentative.”