The Eastern volleyball team’s schedule was released Wednesday afternoon. The Panthers are set to play 16 conference matches beginning Feb. 7 with the final regular season match scheduled on March 28.

Eastern struggled in conference play last season, posting a 1-15 record against OVC foes, finishing tied for last place in the conference. This season is the first with new head coach Sara Thomas at the helm, and the Panthers will look to bounce back in this delayed and abbreviated season.

Now let’s break down some of the notable matched on the Panthers’ schedule.

Tennessee-Martin- Feb. 7, March 15

Eastern opens the season on the road against the Skyhawks, who beat the Panthers twice last season in straight sets.

Eastern fared better in the second matchup, however, falling 25-23, 25-20 and 25-21.

Southeast Missouri- Feb. 8 March 14

Eastern was swept twice by Southeast Missouri, who would go on to finish second in the regular season standings and then win the OVC tournament.

Eastern averaged just 15.3 points per set against the RedHawks last season.

Murray State- Feb. 14, March 21

Murray State was Eastern’s first OVC opponent of last season and the first of six-straight conference losses for Eastern.

Eastern played two competitive sets against the Racers with a 25-21 loss in the first match and a 25-23 loss in the second.

Austin Peay- Feb. 15, March 22

Eastern played as well against Austin Peay as they did any opponent last season, despite losing to them twice. In the first matchup, Eastern lost 26-24, 26-24 and 25-21.

Eastern won a set in the second match, its fourth set win of the season at that point.

Tennessee Tech- March 8

The Panthers’ only conference win of the season came against the Golden Eagles in dramatic fashion with the match going all five sets.

Eastern won the first set 39-37, the third set 25-22 and the fifth set 15-11.

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