Pre-Weekend Notes (PDF)
APSU Match Program (PDF)
TSU Match Program (PDF)

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APSU Lady Govs | TSU Tigers

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Fresh off a second consecutive three-set sweep of arch-rival Southeast Missouri last Tuesday night, the Eastern Illinois volleyball squad will finish up the home portion of the 2010 slate this weekend with rematches versus Austin Peay and Tennessee State at 7 pm on Friday and 2 pm on Saturday, respectively.

COMPLETE WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, November 5, 2010:
Austin Peay (20-6/11-4) at Eastern Illinois (14-13/6-8) ... 7 pm

Saturday, November 6, 2010:
Tennessee State (8-15/6-9) at Eastern Illinois ... 2 pm

THOUGHTS FROM HEAD COACH KATE PRICE PRIOR TO WEEKEND
“After a rough weekend road trip, I'm hoping that we are now in a turning point in our season," said first year head coach Kate Price.  "We just need to get back to what we are doing and to gain confidence in ourselves. Our girls hit a rock bottom in the tough five-set loss at EKU, so we need to work our way back up.

"The sweep of SEMO Tuesday was a big help. We need to carry that into the weekend and to understand it is a new team and new game. We need to play our best to beat teams. Austin Peay kicked our butt last time, especially in the last set, so it will be nice to give them a taste of their own medicine. TSU has several players willing to take a swing, so we are hoping that our girls will be a little bit more aggressive. That's something we've been working on. Need to make smarter plays, but still nice to see us more aggressive.

"TSU is a good team and it wont be an easy win and the girls understand that. We seem to be playing pretty well at home so I am crossing my fingers that it will continue. 

"Our ultimate game plan is to just keep the ball in play. SEMO struggled with their passing, so we focused on keeping it in play, which is something we need do again this weekend. APSU is a good passing team, while TSU serves really well so it will be definitely be a serve/pass war on the court, which will have to win.

"Jorie (Dieter) is doing a good job blocking, yet as a team we are either good or bad leading to good upside and then a downside. The players can't overdue do it at the net and trust that the defense will be there in back court off of touch blocks. 

"We are hoping to get Kelsey (Orr) back into the rotation slowly. She's not nearly as affective as she was right now, but we hope she'll get it back. Once she's ready, she'll be back in there. 

"Katherine (Gosewisch) has been doing well in practice and been busting her butt, so when kids do that they earn a spot into the game, which is why she saw some significant action versus SEMO. Plus K-2 (Kelsey Brooke) was able to come in dig a couple of balls, and Amy (Martin) did some good things too towards the end of the match. Overall, though, we still need some more out of them in practice. 

"Our five seniors are really a good group of kids. Everytime they go out on the court they work to get better. Alex (Zwettler) has been a great leader on the court, while Erin (Hake) always has a smile on her face. I can't complain unless I feel that the effort isn't there. This will definitely be a group of kids that we are going to miss. I plan on having all five of them getting many chances to play this weekend.”

RE-SCOUTING THE APSU LADY GOVS
The first opponent of this weekend will be AUSTIN PEAY who currently sit in second place in the OVC standings at 20-6 overall and 11-4 in league matches. The Lady Govs enter Charleston having won their last two matches. 

Leading all APSU players is junior outside hitter Nikki Doyle with a 3.44 kills-per-set average of 337 total put-aways, plus she is one of eight players with double-digit ace numbers, as she has nailed 26, while hitting at a .210 attack clip. Fellow junior Ilyanna Hernandez and senior Jessica Mollmann are both earning two-plus kills per set as well via 287 and 225 put-downs, respectively, while Mollman sports the top blocking game with 69 total roofs, including 16 solo stuffs. Senior middle Taylor Skinner owns the top APSU attack at .320, while another senior, setter Sarah Alisaleh, leads the offense with 757 assists (8.70 aps). 

Defensively, junior libero Paige Economos not only has the top dig numbers with 482 ups, but also has a tough service with a team-high 40 aces on the season. 

APSU took a three-set win over EIU this past October and with the win have pulled to within 15-14 in the all-time Division I series history. In fact, the Lady Govs have actually won the last five straight contests, with EIU's last win coming back in 2007 when the Panthers won the season finale at home in four sets.

ANOTHER QUICK LOOK AT THE TSU TIGERS
Currently just a half-game behind the Panthers in the OVC standings, TENNESSEE STATE will play at SEMO on Friday evening before traveling up this way for Saturday's match at EIU. The Tigers are 8-15 overall and 6-9 in league action. TSU won a four-set match over the Panthers in Nashville to start the month of October. However, in the all-time series, that marks only the fifth win over Eastern as the Panthers dominate the previous meetings, 22-5, which included winning the first 18 matchups, including 16 straight-set wins, since EIU joined the OVC in 1996. 

Leading the Tigers on the court is junior middle/outside attacker Shaquita Williams with 247 kills (2.78 kps) and a .227 attack, while also second for blocks with 62 total stuffs. In addition, her jump serve continues to give the opposition fits as she owns a team-high 33 aces. Seniors Santia Sanders and Vicmari Prospero, meanwhile, are also averaging over two kills per set, with Prospero also sports the top attack and block total, via a .312 average, and 73 blocks, respectively. 

Freshman setter Erika Moss has dished out 794 assists and has added 16 aces and 201 digs. Senior libero Kamille King's 274 digs lead all Tigers, while sophomore Calasia Williams is a close second with 252 ups.

ZWETTLER EARNS SPOT ON EIU's 1,000 KILL & DIG CLUBS
Needing only a few kills and digs to earn a spot on Eastern's prestigious 1,000 Kill and Dig Clubs prior to the start of the season, senior Alex Zwettler did just that, placing her name into the Panther record books as she currently sports 1,168 and 1,187 career kills and digs, respectively. With still some more action to be seen this season the outside hitter, and sometimes libero, will continue to add to those numbers. 

She became the 14th and 23rd all-time Panther volleyball player to be named to the respective Kill and Dig Clubs. Plus, her 3,416 career attack attempts also ranks as one of Top 10 bests by a Panther.  She also leads with 47 kill-dig duo-duo career performances, with eight occuring this season alone.

DESPITE RECENT INJURY, KELSEY ORR STILL LEADS THE OVC
Despite being sidelined with a slight ankle injury, senior Kelsey Orr still continues to lead all Ohio Valley Conference players for kills-per-set average (3.90 kps) and points scored (4.33) for the entire season. Meanwhile, in OVC play only, the outside hitter also is top-ranked for kills (3.93) and second in points (4.43), solidifying her chance of earning a post-season conference honor.

WALLACE DOES IT IN THE CLASSROOM & ON THE COURT
On Thursday (Nov. 4), Eastern Illinois volleyball learned that junior libero Brittany Wallace has been recognized with Academic All-District V Second-Team honors, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Wallace, majoring in Communications Disorders & Sciences while also earning a minor in Spanish, not only sports a perfect 4.00 GPA in the classroom but also leads the Panthers on the court defensively thanks to a team-high 3.28 digs-per-set average. 

Last Tuesday night, the Trenton, Ill. native added her name to EIU's prestigious 1,000 Dig Club, as she notched 11 digs in the Panthers' sweep of arch-rival SEMO to move her career dig total to 1,010. That makes her only the 24th all-time Eastern player to earn such an honor, as earlier this season current senior Alex Zwettler also earned a spot on the exclusive 1,000 Dig Club list. 

Last season, the two-time OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll award winner not only recorded the third highest single-season EIU dig mark of 525, but she also nabbed her first career All-Tournament honor at the season-opening IPFW Invitational. Plus in early November, she was also tabbed as the OVC 'Defensive Player of the Week'

CHRISSIE ALBERS ONE OF THE TOP SETTERS IN THE OVC
Junior Chrissie Albers continues to shine as the starting 'quarterback' for EIU, as her 10.94 assists-per-set average continues to rank as the best mark in the Ohio Valley Conference for the entire season, while ranking second (10.86 aps) for league-only contests. She has six 10+ assist/dig performances to her credit this season, which includes a new career high 64 assists in the Panthers' come-from-behind five-set home win over Tennessee Tech in October.

SENIOR DAY FOLLOWING HOME FINALE AGAINST TSU
Kylie Cavanah, Jorie Dieter, Erin Hake, Kelsey Orr, and Alex Zwettler will be honored for their outstanding contributions to the Panther volleyball program following Saturday's home finale match.

.... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID