Panthers end nonconference play with 3-1 loss

Eastern+middle+blocker+Emily+Wilcox+jumps+to+attempt+a+kill+in+a+match+against+Indiana+State+on+Sept.+19+in+Lantz+Arena.+Wilcox+had+10+kills+in+the+match%2C+which+Eastern+lost+3-1.

Adam Tumino | The Daily Eastern News

Eastern middle blocker Emily Wilcox jumps to attempt a kill in a match against Indiana State on Sept. 19 in Lantz Arena. Wilcox had 10 kills in the match, which Eastern lost 3-1.

Adam Tumino, Sports Editor

The Eastern volleyball team lost its second-straight match against Indiana State Sunday afternoon, closing nonconference play for the Panthers. 

Eastern will be entering conference competition next week with a record of 7-3, putting them in third place in the OVC. 

The Panthers previously played the Sycamores Friday, suffering their worst loss of the season. 

The match Sunday was closer, with Eastern winning the third set in come-from-behind fashion, but Indiana State commended the fourth set to pick up the win. 

The Sycamores are now 8-2 on the season.

They came out strong in the first two sets, beating the Panthers 25-19 and 25-20. 

The Sycamores hit a combined .317 in those sets while Eastern hit a combined .164.

In the third set, Eastern was down 15-7 before going on a 6-0 run with Lorraine Perez serving to put them back in the set. 

The Panthers hung within two to three points before tying the score at 22. Eastern won three of the next four points to win the set 25-23. 

The fourth set was tied 8-8, but the Sycamores then started to run away with the set. 

They went on a 12-2 run and won the set 25-15. 

Indiana State outhit Eastern .287 to .151 in the match and recorded 56 kills to the Panthers’ 48. 

Senior outside hitter Danielle Allen led the Panthers with 12 kills while hitting .022, well below her season average. 

Sophomore middle blocker Emily Wilcox recorded 10 kills with a hitting percentage of .316. Wilcox is leading the conference with a hitting percentage of .346. 

Freshman outside hitter Kaitlyn Flynn also finished with 10 kills and also collected 10 digs to pick up a double-double. Freshman libero Lorraine Perez led the team with 19 digs.  

Junior setter Summerlynn Smith had 23 assists to lead the team. 

Indiana State was led by Karinna Gall and Kaitlyn Hamilton with 13 kills apiece while hitting .379 and .346 respectively. 

Eastern will now enter conference play with a pair of road matches against Murray State coming up next weekend. 

The Racers went 6-4 in nonconference play, sitting just below the Panthers in the OVC standings. 

Murray State freshman outside hitter Brooke Watts has been one of the OVC’s top players this season, leading the conference with 5.81 kills per set, the most in the OVC by 1.33 kills per set. 

As a team, the Racers lead the OVC with 15.05 kills per set and rank second in hitting percentage.


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