It couldn’t have been a much better opening weekend for the Eastern volleyball team considering the Panthers won three of four games in the Sea-Sun Invitational in Maine and also reached certain team and individual milestones.

The first game the Panthers played was against Boston College, which is coming off a 17-12 season a year ago. But the Panthers lost only one game to the Golden Eagles and won the other three impressively by the scores 30-21, 30-15, and 30-27.

“It was impressive for us just in the sense that Boston College is a team from the Big East (conference) and returned just about every starter from a year ago,” Eastern coach Brenda Winkeler said.

As far as individual milestones are concerned, senior outside hitter Erica Gerth is now second on the all-time hits list at Eastern. Being second on that list is something Winkeler feels will not last too long.

“If she plays like she is capable, that is one record she will be holding at Eastern before the next weekend is over,” Winkeler said. “There are a couple more records she can contend for before the year is out, but the hits record is one she should shatter before her career is over.”

The overall offensive consistency that the Panthers found during the tournament was proven by the fact that their only loss was to Portland State, which went undefeated in the tournament.

Eastern also beat Fairfield and Maine in the four team tournament.

“Now we have some more consistency out of our setter position and overall we are a tougher team mentally currently,” Winkeler said.