An up and down season for the Eastern volleyball team ended this past weekend with the Panthers failing to make the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for the second straight year.

Eastern finished 9-23 overall and 6-10 in the OVC. The Panthers missed the final slot in the OVC tournament by three games to Murray State who went 9-6 in conference play.

“It’s always disappointing to miss the OVC tournament,” Panthers head coach Brenda Winkeler said. “This year the field was increased to 11 teams and still only six made the tournament so it was a very competitive conference.”

Much of the Panthers’ struggles this season can be traced back to a pair of long losing streaks. From Sept. 6 through Sept. 25 Eastern lost nine straight matches, and during the heart of the OVC season in October, the Panthers dropped seven in a row and 11 of 13 matches. Winkeler mentioned the losing streaks not only hurt the team’s record but also its confidence.

“Losing the close matches (five game matches) like the ones against Tennessee Tech and Air Force were difficult,” Winkeler said. “If we could have won those games, we really could have reversed things.”

Freshman Mary Welch agreed the losing streak was more detrimental to the team than just wins and losses.

“It definitely affected us because no one likes to lose,” Welch said. “We just wanted to win and we worked hard but we just lost close matches. We’re a good team; we just couldn’t win those close matches.”

Although the Panthers missed the post season, Eastern certainly can be recognized as a team on the rise. The Panthers doubled their conference wins this year from three to six and with outside hitter Welch, Eastern has one of the most talented freshman in the conference. The Marion Catholic graduate finished second on the team averaging 2.95 kills per game and 316 overall. Welch hit at .158 clip and added 13 service aces on the season.

“Mary Welch kept getting better for us every game,” Winkeler said. “If you look at her performance against Tennessee-Martin this weekend she actually had a negative hitting percentage in the first game but then went on to lead us in kills and finish second in digs.”

Welch will be joined on the front line next year with middle hitter Shanna Ruxer and outside hitter Erica Gerth to give the Panthers three legitimate scorers.

“I’m really hoping (the three of us) we’ll be able to dominate,” Welch said. “We’re also going to have a middle hitter recruit coming in from my hometown (Chicago) who I faced in high school and she will add more depth to our front line

Ruxer led the Panthers with a .259 hitting percentage and finished third on the team with 234 kills. Her defense was second to none on the team as she totaled 120 blocks and accumulated just 12 block errors.

Despite being the focal point of many opposing defenses, Gerth again led the Panthers in kills for the third straight year. With 464 kills, Gerth produced her highest season total in her three years on campus. The El Paso native’s 420 digs and 53 service aces were also tops on the squad.

This season Gerth was named to three all-tournament teams and was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29. Also, for the second consecutive year, Gerth received recognition for her academic success by being selected to the First Team Academic All-District V. Last year Gerth was a second team All-District V member.

“Getting an education is why we are here. Whether you are on the court or in the classroom it takes the same skills to do well – such as hard work, commitment and motivation,” Gerth said. “It’s an honor to receive this award again.”

Winkeler also praised her star athlete not only on the court but also in the classroom.

“Erica again did a great job and she works extremely hard in both areas,” Winkeler said. “It’s great that she is recognized for her athletic accomplishments and her academics.”

For the year, the Panthers were 6-7 at home, 2-11 away from Lantz Arena and 1-5 at neutral sites. Eastern was winless in its first five road conference tilts but went on to end the season strong with victories in two of their last three matches.

“We’ll be able to look back at that for next season,” Welch said. “I’m really hoping that will carry over to next year.”