Ahead of the Eastern volleyball team’s match against the second best team in the conference, it was more a question of when, not if, for head coach Julie Allen.

 “How awesome it is going to feel after we beat Morehead State,” Allen said. “I showed them the numbers, I said, ‘We absolutely have the ability to do it; we have the personnel to do it, now it comes down to heart and belief.’”

A 13 kill, 16 assist performance from senior Taylor Smith marshalled Eastern to a 3-0 victory (25-23, 25-16, 25-14) over Morehead State on Saturday, one day removed from the Panthers’ win over Eastern Kentucky 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-16).

It was the first Eastern victory versus Morehead State since 2014.

With just six matches before the postseason, Eastern, after procuring the pair of wins this past weekend, tied Jacksonville State for the eighth and final playoff spot, improving to 4-6 in conference play.

“I hope they realize that they can do whatever they want to do if they put their mind toy it,” Allen said.

A Smith kill midway through the third set unleashed a 10-0 run which, from then onward, positioned the Panthers in front for the remainder of the match. 

But the tone early on in the match pointed in Morehead State’s favor, as the Panthers trailed 18-12 in the first set.

From there, though, Morehead State buckled under the Panthers’ pressure.

Following Morehead State redshirt sophomore Chandler Clark’s service error, Laurel Bailey catapulted the Panthers to within three, aiding redshirt freshman Kylie Michael on her two kills. 

“We just kind of like believed in each other,” Bailey said. “Our entire crowd and everyone knew that we were going to win that set.”

In Eastern’s drubbing of Eastern Kentucky on Friday, however, the Panthers’ offensive regimen prevailed the entire way, never allowing the Colonels to get out ahead in the first or second sets.

Eastern disoriented the Colonel defense through its serving, which, by Allen’s account, came to fruition thanks to the efforts of Smith. 

“Taylor Smith was phenomenal today,” Allen said. “She was really athletic, she was communicative, she was a great leader. I am excited to keep seeing Taylor’s future.”

When Smith sauntered up to the line to serve in the middle of the third, Eastern held a three-point lead, but by the time she finished, the Panthers commanded a 20-11 advantage.

Smith’s seven consecutive serves in the third were pronounced by five kills from her teammates. Defensively, the Panthers hampered the Colonels from sets one to three, prompting a .065 attack percentage.

 “Their servicing was really struggling tonight, so just getting them out of rotation and out of what they are comfortable with really helped us,” Smith said.  “Just getting the ball over the net was the key.”

She pooled her resources to finish with 20 assists and four blocks for Eastern, who gained 19 digs from Anne Hughes as well. 

Returning to the team after an ankle sprain injury, Smith left the court gratified, voicing her appreciation for the chance to play at Lantz Arena once again.

“It feels really good being back,” Smith said. “It’s nice to be at home in front of our home fans and have a great win with a great crowd.”

Tom O’Connor can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].