2010 Panther Volleyball Schedule

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- A ten-match home slate and an 11-match early season tournament schedule highlight Eastern Illinois volleyball's 2010 schedule, as unveiled by head coach Kate Price.

The Panthers begin the season by playing in three consecutive weekend tournaments before gearing up for an 18-match round robin slate in Ohio Valley Conference play. In addition, EIU will face instate rivals Western Illinois and Illinois-Chicago on the road, as well as a home contest with SIU-Edwardsville, who don't officially join the OVC until fall of 2011.

“We had a tough, but successful spring, so I'm hoping that it will carry over into summer, as well as the preseason this coming fall,” said Price. “We have scheduled some tougher matches early on which should help prepare us for what the season brings. We are returning several starters and I think we will have a tough group of girls. As their coach, I believe it is important to schedule tough matches that will not only challenge them, but also allow them to see different parts of the country in the process.”

Action begins the first weekend of September, as the Panthers will fly to traditional Ivy League power Harvard for a four match tourney. EIU will face Bryant, Boston College, New Hampshire and the host Crimson squad. Eastern will be playing Bryant, New Hampshire and Harvard for the first time in program history, while the Panthers won the lone meeting with Boston College back in 2004.

EIU then returns to tournament action on Sept. 10-11, traveling north to East Lansing, Mich., where the squad will partake in Michigan State's three-match weekend invite. EIU will first take on Eastern Michigan, followed by matches against the host Spartans and Clemson Tigers. The Panthers are 2-3 all-time against the Spartan squad, but are an even 2-2 versus Clemson and have dominated the all-time series over EMU, 4-1.

The Panthers finish up the pre-OVC docket on Sept. 17-18 with a four-match swing to the home state of both coach Price and assistant coach Ryan Sweitzer -- Pennsylvania. The Pitt Panthers are set to host several schools over two days, yet the Eastern Panthers are not scheduled to play against Pitt, but will instead battle Robert Morris, Washington, Saint Francis, and Bowling Green State.

Following a road match at long-time rival Western Illinois, EIU will finally open league play in the friendly confines of Lantz Arena, as Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky come to town on Sept. 24-25. The Racers of Murray State then visit for a mid-week OVC match to end the month of September.

A Tennessee State and Austin Peay weekend trip will be the Panthers' next scheduled contest in early October. EIU then returns home to battle defending OVC Champion Jacksonville State, as well as Tennessee Tech, on Oct. 8 and 9, respectively.

One more instate non-conference match at UIC will be followed by a three-match road swing to take on UT Martin, Murray State and bitter rival Southeast Missouri. On Oct. 23 the Cougars of SIUE come to EIU's Lantz Arena for the Panthers' last non-league contest of the season.

After hosting UTM in another mid-week matchup, the Panthers will take to the road yet again for the Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State weekend matches to end the month of October.

Following a final three-match home stand on Nov. 2, 5, and 6 versus SEMO, Austin Peay and TSU, the Panthers will end the regular-season slate on the road at TTU and JSU. The Ohio Valley Conference Championship, annually hosted by the regular-season champion, is scheduled for Nov. 18-22, with the top six squads advancing and battling it out to determine who will represent the OVC in the NCAAs.

Under coach Price, the Panthers will not only look to improve on last season's 11-20 overall mark, 4-13 conference record, and 3-7 Lantz Arena mark, but also inspire to make the six-squad end-of-season OVC tournament.

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