This weekend the Eastern volleyball team split its two matches at home, losing Friday to Jacksonville State and beating Tennessee Tech in a five-set match Saturday.

In Friday’s match Jacksonville State caught a break that would lead to the Gamecocks eventually winning the match.

Late in the fourth set, a ball appeared to hit the floor on the Gamecocks’ side of the court, but the referee called it a live ball, allowing JSU to eventually get the point.

JSU went on to win the set and the match.

Senior outside hitter Alex Zwettler said the call gave the Panthers some extra motivation going into Saturday’s match against Tennessee Tech.

“I think that lit a fire under us,” Zwettler said. “It gives us a lot more drive and energy to try and play above the adversity that we see.”

The Panthers went into Saturday’s match in Lantz Arena and lost the first two sets to the Golden Eagles.

Following the first set, the Panthers went back to the locker room and changed Zwettler from libero back to her natural position of outside hitter.

The Panthers moved junior Brittany Wallace, who had been battling injuries earlier in the year, back to her original libero position.

Zwettler has been starting at libero for the Panthers’ entire OVC schedule.

She said the move was a little bit strange at first, but it felt good to be back where she feels most at home.

“I was nervous at first, but it was very exciting to get back in there and have more control of the game in my hands,” Zwettler said. “I really enjoyed it and I think it helped out the team a lot.”

The Panthers went on to lose the second set to TTU, but were able to battle back.

Senior middle blocker Jorie Deiter said this was due in large part to some inspirational words from head coach Kate Price.

“Coach Price had some good things to say for us,” Deiter said. “It really motivated us to come out there and do our best to try and win that game, and we did.”

Price said she was pleased with the determination of the team to keep pushing and come back and get the win.

“It’s nice to see the girls come out and want to come back, and want to finish the game off,” Price said. “You always know that they want it, but it’s just a matter of being able to do it and making things happen. I think they did a good job of that today.”

Deiter said the win provides good momentum going into the Panthers’ match at University of Illinois-Chicago Monday.

“We feel good, UIC can be another good win for us if we play the same way we played today,” Deiter said.

Zwettler said the Panthers are going into the UIC match with confidence.

“We seem to do better against non-conference opponents,” Zwettler said. “So I think it will be better going into that match.”

Deiter said it feels good to snap a losing streak like the Panthers did, having lost their last three matches as well as five of their last six going into Saturday’s match.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Deiter said. “After a losing streak, and then you win, you’ve got to wait for it all to sink in.”

The Panthers will play a non-conference match today against UIC in Chicago, and then will resume their OVC schedule next weekend away from home against Tennessee- Martin and Murray State.

Their next home match is scheduled for Oct. 26 against Tennessee-Martin.

Brad Kupiec can be reached at 581-7944 or [email protected].