Box Score
Photo Gallery (Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois volleyball hit past Eastern Kentucky in a four-set affair (25-23, 24-26, 25-20, 25-22) at home on Saturday afternoon, as the win snapped a season-long ten-match losing streak and ended EKU's recent nine-match streak in the series between the two league rivals.

The victory improves the Panthers to 4-15 overall and 1-5 in OVC action, while the Colonels are now 4-12 and 1-5, respectively.

Reynae Hutchinson led all players on the court with a season-high 16 kill tally and hit .324 in the match, while the junior tied senior Alison Berens and classmate Amy Martin with five blocks apiece at the net.

Freshman outside hitter/setter Abby Saalfrank followed with 15 kills, adding 15 assists and 11 digs to nab her fifth triple-double performace of the season.  Saalfrank also hit a team-high .406 and tied Berens with three aces apiece.

Berens was just one put-down shy of double-digit kill numbers herself, as she finished with nine,  off a .316 attack, while freshman setter Marah Bradbury led all players with 29 assists.

EIU libero Kelsey Brooke paced all back row defenders with 24 digs, as the sophomore set a new career-high.

EKU was led by Ashley Edmond's 13 kill, 11 dig double-double, while Kelsey Kuehner chipped in 10 kills and a team-high four assisted blocks.  Libero Dena Ott had 13 digs to lead the Colonels in the back court defense and fired off four aces.

The Panthers led the visiting EKU squad in nearly every statistical category, including kills (57-to-49), attack (.270-to.128), assists (54-to-44), digs (70-to-54), blocks (11.0-to-seven), and points (75.0-to-68.0).  The Colonels did win the serving game with a 12-to-seven advantage.

Meeting for the 33rd time, the two long-time rivals finished with 25 ties and 14 lead changes, while the EIU win upped the Panther lead in the all-time series to 17-16.

Both squads enjoyed multi-point runs to open the first set in-between ties of 7-all, 13-all and 21-all.  Consecutive aces by Saalfrank would force EKU to burn a timeout with the Panthers up 23-21, but another unreturnable serve by Saalfrank  gave EIU the set-point up 24-21.  The Colonels made it interesting with consecutive kills, but a put-down by Berens would secure the 25-23 Panther lead.

The second frame saw the visitors jump out to an early 9-4 advantage, requiring an EIU break in the action.  EKU would hold onto that least a two-to-three point advantage until a pair of EKU miscues helped the Panthers knot the set at 21-all.  Both squads played classic side-out ball as the set went into extra points before consecutive EKU kills would help the Colonels gut out the 26-24 win to tie the match at a set apiece.

EKU would again come out strong to open the third set with a 9-4 lead.  EIU would pull to within 10-8 thanks to the overpass kill by Bradbury.  The Panthers then responded by going on a 6-2 run to lead EKU 14-12, yet the Colonels would counter with their own multi-point score to tie it at 17-all.  Following a 19-all score, EIU would finish off the Colonels with a strong 6-1 finish to win 25-20 and enjoy the 2-1 match lead.

The Colonels once more started hot in the fourth frame, leading EIU 3-0, but a pair of EIU kills and two EKU errors would tie it up at 4-all.  EKU countered to retake the lead at 9-6 and would hold onto that advantage until the Panthers erupted for five straight to lead 15-13 and require EKU to use a timeout.  From that point on, EKU could only tie the Panthers two more times as EIU rode the momentum to the 25-22 victory.

Panthers will have a week off to prepare for next weekend's road OVC contests at Austin Peay and Murray State on Firday (Oct. 12) and Saturday (Oct. 13), with first serves set for 7 p.m. and noon, respectively.

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