Eastern volleyball team closes season, falls short of playoffs
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
November 25, 2018
The task of determining Eastern’s place in the Ohio Valley Conference was never a simple exercise. Before the season commenced, the Panthers brought in a fresh crop of talent, with four freshmen, not to mention redshirt Kylie Michael, joining the Eastern volleyball fold. Eastern cobbled together...
Four senior volleyball players recognized for efforts
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
November 11, 2018
It’s all over. On a weekend in which Eastern succumbed to the top two teams in the conference for the final two games of the season, two seniors, Taylor Smith and Abby Knight, concluded their collegiate volleyball careers on the Lantz Arena hardwood. In losses of 3-0 and 3-1 to Murray State and ...
Eastern volleyball team falls short against Belmont
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 28, 2018
Eastern junior Maggie Runge found an opening. To prepare her team for a set three win, she drilled the ball between a cluster of Belmont defenders, all happening before any one of them could say, “I got it.” But by the end of the fourth set, the Bruins could affirmatively declare, “We got...
Opportunity ahead this weekend for volleyball
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 25, 2018
For coach Julie Allen and the Eastern volleyball team, the timing could not be drawn up any better. Well, at least in some respects. Belmont, the second-worst team in the Ohio Valley Conference, will be next up on Eastern’s itinerary, which, unfortunately for the Panthers, does not get any less...
Like father, like daughter: Michael family thrives at Eastern
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 23, 2018
He was a 6-foot-8 forward at the University of Illinois, an academic counselor for college athletes and an executive administrator for the same program he once played for, all before taking up his current post as the athletic director at Eastern. Yes, each of these occupations describes Tom Michael...
Eastern volleyball team sweeps weekend matches
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 21, 2018
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...
Panthers’ volleyball open second half of OVC schedule
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 18, 2018
The Eastern women’s volleyball team submitted its midterm report card last weekend, as the Panthers played their eighth conference match out of a total of 16, compiling a 2-6 record. The team’s placement in the Ohio Valley Conference Standings? Third to last. That noted, the Panthers will...
Notebook: OVC making its mark in Division I rankings
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 16, 2018
The Ohio Valley Conference has not gone unrepresented in the ranks of NCAA Division I volleyball this season. OVC players have been at the vanguard of a few, distinct statistical departments in 2018, whether it be aces, blocks or assists per set. Three such players, junior Danielle McCarson a...
Eastern tops Gamecocks, falls to Tennessee Tech
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 14, 2018
The volleyball team’s offense had enough fuel to make it all the way to central Alabama in a 3-0 victory to stifle Jacksonville State Friday (25-13, 22-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-4), but broke down on the return trip, falling 3-2 (25-17, 25-18, 25-17) to Tennessee Tech Saturday. In the deciding play of...
Notebook: Records may not show entire picture for OVC volleyball
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 9, 2018
Appearances are not always what they might suggest. This old adage has been somewhat of a theme so far in the Ohio Valley Conference volleyball standings this season. Look no further than Tennessee Tech and Southern Illinois Edwardsville. From an outsider’s perspective, Tennessee Tech, which...
Eastern volleyball team drops pair of weekend matches in straight sets
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 7, 2018
As the Eastern volleyball team journeyed south for its weekend matches, the Panthers’ conference record trended in much the same direction, losing 3-0 to both Austin Peay and Murray State. Although the Panthers lost, they did gain senior Taylor Smith who, after suffering an ankle sprain injury at...
Smith could return for Tennessee road trip
Tom O'Connor, Volleyball Reporter
October 4, 2018
Senior Taylor Smith’s absence may well in fact be over, as head coach Julie Allen hinted that the 2017 All-OVC senior could make a return to the lineup as early as this weekend, with Eastern scheduled to play Austin Peay and Murray State. While the configuration of the lineup changed when she left,...
