For the Eastern volleyball team, there has been no place like home in 2019.

The season as a whole has not been a peaceful stroll along the yellow brick road for the Panthers, who are 2-20 overall and 1-9 in conference play.

But in Lantz Arena, the Panthers have been able to perform much better than they have on the road.

Record aside (Eastern is 1-6 at home), all the team’s numbers are more impressive at home.

This is evident in terms of kills per set, which is not the only statistic that matters, but seven of the eight OVC teams currently in a postseason spot are in the top eight in kills per set.

The Panthers are averaging 10.65 kills per set on the season, the second-fewest in the conference. But they are averaging 11.8 kills per set at home compared to just 9 on the road, which would be 1.54 behind 11th place.

If their season average was 11.8, the Panthers would rank just one spot higher but be .15 kills per set behind ninth place and .25 kills per set behind eighth, hypothetically putting them in postseason contention.

Another split in the statistics is in assists per set, where the Panthers average of 9.79 ranks last in the OVC.

Their home average of 11.08 assists per set would rank ninth in the conference, just .02 behind eighth place and .09 behind sixth.

On the road, they are averaging just 9.14 assists per set, which would be .65 below 11th place.

Of course, assists and kills are linked, so Eastern’s numbers are similar. But on the defensive end, the Panthers have been better at home as well.

Keep in mind the defensive statistics in the OVC are less indicative of playoff positioning than the offensive stats. The Panthers rank ninth with 14.8 digs per set. But, once again, their average is much higher at home, sitting at 16 digs per set. This would be the fifth most in the conference.

The trend continues into blocks per set, where the Panthers rank seventh with an average of 1.92. Their home blocks per set would be 2.08 and rank fifth in the conference. Their road average of 1.79 blocks per set would rank ninth.

Eastern head coach Julie Allen said that it is certainly beneficial to play at home.

“Home is definitely nice,” Allen said. “You get to have your home bed, eat what you want to eat on your time and you get to kind of relax and take care of your body a little bit better than when you’re on the road.”

Luckily for Eastern, five of its seven matches to end the season are on its home court, including four of six conference matches.

Its only two remaining road matches are against Austin Peay and Murray State, two teams that the Panthers played well against earlier in the season.

The team is relatively young and experienced, with only seven of the 18 players on the roster being juniors or seniors.

As the team grows and gains experience, it would stand to reason that they will be able to take some of their home successes on the road.

Adam Tumino can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].