The Eastern volleyball team will finish out the season with Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State coming in to Lantz Arena for some Ohio Valley Conference action this

weekend.

The Panthers enter the weekend at 9-19 overall and 6-11 in OVC action, looking to break a two-match skid after beating the defending OVC champions, Morehead State.

Their opponents, Tennessee Tech, enter the weekend at 4-22 overall and are in last place in the standings at 3-13, while Jacksonville State enters the weekend at 9-17 and 7-9 in the OVC.

The Panthers defeated both Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State on the road, and by way of a sweep and a 3-2 victory, respectively.

Sophomore Reynae Hutchinson had a career-best 27 kills and 14 digs in the loss to Murray State, but she continues to shine even in

defeat.

It also marked her 15th career kill-dig double-double for the team.

Head coach Kate Price is still thinking long term with this team, stressing everything that needs to be addressed in practice.

“As the season winds down, we still need to focus on the match as a whole,” Price said. “Some days we do better on offense than defense and vice versa. I do not want to focus a whole practice on one element of the game.”

The Panthers enjoy a seven-match lead in the all-time series against Tennessee Tech, 21-14, while the last two seasons both teams splitting the regular-season meetings.

Against Jacksonville State, however, the Panthers are down 13-3 in the all-time series, losing 12 straight match-ups for five years until the Panthers were finally able to break that losing streak earlier this year.

It was the first Panther victory on the Jacksonville State’s home court since it joined the OVC in 2003.

The Panthers are going for the season sweep against both teams and are ready to play in whatever condition.

“We have played this game long enough to know who each team will go to with the ball,” Price said. “We have reviewed game film and we have pretty good idea on how to take home two victories.”

Panthers play at 7 p.m. and 6 p.m this Friday and Saturday at Lantz

Arena.

Lenny Arquilla can be reached at 581-7944 or [email protected]