Tweet #EIUBleedBlue

EASTERN ILLINOIS at BALL STATE ACTIVE ANKLE CHALLENGE
Weekend Details	Fri.-Sat., Aug. 29-30, 2014 | Worthen Arena (11,500) | in Muncie, Ind.
Match Coverage	Live Stats (via BSU) | Twitter | Facebook
EIU Panther info	Website | 18-12 (12-4 Ohio Valley / T-2nd) in 2013
Northern Colorado info	Website | 14-17 (10-10 Big Sky / 6th) in 2013
Ball State (host) info	Website | 24-8 (12-4 Mid-American / 1st-West) in 2013
Western Illinois info	Website | 12-18 (6-8 Summit / T-5th) in 2013

 

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The 2014 edition of Eastern Illinois Panther volleyball is set to open the season at the four-team Ball State Active Ankle Challenge this weekend, as EIU will play a match on Friday (Aug. 29) and also have a pair of contests on Saturday (Aug. 30).
 
Eastern opens the tourney action versus the Northern Colorado Bears on Friday at 4:30 p.m., before taking on the host Cardinals at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning and then ending their weekend slate with a 4:30 p.m. match versus in-state rival Western Illinois.

Live stats of each match will be available via the BSU website (links above), while the contest with the Cardinals of Ball State will also feature online audio capabilities.
 
BALL STATE CHALLENGE SCHEDULE
... all times central
 
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
EIU vs. Northern Colorado ... 4:30 p.m.
   Western Illinois at Ball State … 7 p.m.
 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30
EIU at Ball State ... 10 a.m.
   Northern Colorado vs. Western Illinois … 12:30 p.m.
EIU vs. Western Illinois ... 4:30 p.m.
   Northern Colorado at Ball State … 7 p.m.
 
PANTHER QUICK SETS
• Picked to finish as regular-season runner ups in the preseason OVC poll, the Panthers went 18-12 overall and captured the West Division title off a 12-4 league mark in 2013.  However, this year there will no longer be an East/West Division in the OVC.
 
• Eastern secured five first place votes in the preseason poll by league head coaches and SIDs, to sit behind perennial power and defending champ Morehead State in the predicted order of finish for this year.  Juniors Marah Bradbury and Chelsea Lee represented EIU on the Preseason All-OVC squad as well.
 
• Since 1982, the Panthers are 49-44 all-time when opening the season at a tournament (either at home or on the road), which includes nabbing two championships and 14 runner-up team honors.
 
• In individual match season-openers, Eastern owns a 15-17 mark, while coach Kate Price, who is the reigning OVC 'Coach of the Year' following her honor last fall, owns a 2-2 all-time record for season-openers.
 
• The Ball State Challenge marks the first of four consecutive weekend tournaments for the Panthers this season.  The first 13 matches of the year will also be EIU's lone non-OVC matchups this fall, with the league slate to begin in late September and run through November.
 
• Panthers will not play at home until Wednesday, October 1 as EIU is set to entertain cross-state OVC arch-rival SIU Edwardsville at 6 p.m.
 
QUOTING COACH PRICE
"We are excited to play this weekend," said fifth-year skipper Kate Price.  "We have a good group of girls this season, both on and off the court, all of whom are ready to play other people and see where we match up early on this season.  Every game of this tourney should be a different contest, with every squad playing at our level.  We actually have a good preseason tourney schedule this year, which will definitely help us to prepare for league action.  Playing in Muncie this weekend will also be a homecoming of sorts for some of our players who are from that part of Indiana and also played on club teams from there.
 
"We are also excited about returning quite a few starters this year," Price added, "which includes quite a bit of leadership on court.  Once again we have a fifth year senior (Kelsey Brooke), which is always nice for the coaching staff, because she knows the expectations.  Right now Marah (Bradbury) and Chelsea (Lee) have really come out strong in the preseason.  They are both an important part of our squad as they can do big things.  Marah continues to do a great job of distributing the ball to the right people."
 
LOOKING AT THE EIU RETURNERS
• Junior setter Marah Bradbury, who earned Preseason All-OVC honors after nabbing league honors last fall, returns to run the Panther offense this season.  She led the OVC with 1,304 total assists last year, while the Panthers also paced the conference in hitting %, kills and assists.  She recorded 15 additional assist/dig double-doubles last fall and secured six more OVC 'Setter of the Week' honors.  She currently sports the eighth all-time assist mark by a Panther in school history and ranks in fifth place during the current OVC-era with 2,334 career dishes.
 
• Fellow junior Chelsea Lee had a break-out sophomore campaign last fall as she finished second on the squad with 873 kills for a 3.18 kill-per-set mark and a .265 attack.  Those marks helped her rank in the OVC Top 10 for kills and points for the year and also ranks among the top returning hitters in league-only matchups.  For her fine play, she also nabbed a spot on the Preseason All-OVC unit this year.
 
• Defensively, a pair of defensive/serving specialist return for EIU as seniors Kelsey Brooke and Dakota Springer return to the Panther backcourt, as the duo upped 267 and 275 opponent attacks, respectively, while combining for 49 of the 123 total team aces.  Classmate Stephanie Wallace also returns as the starting libero having tallied 435 total digs (3.95 dps) last season to rank in the OVC Top 10.
 
SCOUTING THE WEEKEND COMPETITION
• Of the three teams set to take on the Panthers this weekend, only the host Ball State squad finished with a winning record last fall, going 24-8 overall and winning the MAC West Division title.  UNC and WIU ended their 2013 campaigns with respective 14-7 and 12-18 marks.
 
• Panthers are a combined 21-14 against the weekend competition, which includes an even 2-2 record with the Cardinals and going 19-12 all-time against the WIU Leathernecks.  The Panthers and the Bears of UNC will be meeting for the first time ever on the volleyball court this weekend.
 
• NORTHERN COLORADO returns eight letter winners and five starters from last year's 14-17 squad that went 10-10 in the Big Sky to finish sixth overall.  Junior outside hitter Kendra Cunningham returns after leading her squad with 359 kills (3.02 kps) and 303 digs, plus she chipped in 58 blocks and 17 aces.  Senior middle blocker Brianna Strong added 329 kills of her own off a .314 attack, and led the net defense with 128 total blocks, including 23 solo roofs.  Sophomore setter Ashley Guthrie will most likely run the offense again behind her 10.50 assists-per-set mark in 2013.
 
• The Cardinals of BALL STATE went 24-8 overall and finished 12-4 in MAC action to capture the West Division title last fall.  The squad returns 10 players, including eight letter winners.  Juniors Alex Fuelling and Hayley Benson are set to lead the offense from the outside and middle attack, respectively, as Fuelling led BSU for kills-per-set behind 350 total put-downs, while adding 316 digs.  Benson, meanwhile hit .353 and stuffed 104 attacks at the net.  BSU did lose their 'quarterback' from last season and will rely on junior setter Jenna Spadafora to call the offensive plays this season.  EIU and BSU last faced each back in 2009 as the Panthers fell in straight sets on neutral territory.  However, both EIU wins over Ball State have come on the Cardinals' home court as the all-time series is tied at 2-2.
 
• WESTERN ILLINOIS tied for fifth overall in the Summit League last fall with a 6-8 conference mark and 12-18 overall record.  The Leathernecks return eight players but have also lost six from last year's team.  WIU does return their top two attackers from last fall as seniors Ann Miller and Samantha Fournier nabbed 377 and 281 kills, respectively, off .232 and .202 attacks.  The duo also combined for 58 total blocks and 496 digs.  Western lost their setter last year but do return their starting libero in senior Molly Murphy.  Owning a 19-12 all-time advantage in the previous matchups, the Panthers last faced WIU on the road in 2010, as Eastern clawed past the Leathernecks in a five-set thriller.  After facing WIU on Saturday, the Panthers will immediately have a rematch with their cross-state foes as EIU will compete in the Leathernecks' own two-day tourney next weekend.
 
PANTHERS PICKED SECOND IN OVC
• As voted on by the league head coaches and SIDs, the Panthers have been projected to finish second overall in the 12-team league this season, as EIU picked up five first place votes following their second place tie in the OVC standings last year.
 
• Defending OVC champ Morehead State will once again be the team to beat this season as the Eagles nabbed 15 first place votes following their NCAA Tourney berth in 2013.  Belmont (3rd), Austin Peay (4th) and SIU Edwardsville (6th) also garnered at least one first place vote in the preseason poll.
 
COMING UP NEXT WEEK
• Next Friday and Saturday (Sep. 5-6) the Panthers return to non-league tournament action, traveling to Macomb to partake in the two-day, fourt-team WIU Leatherneck Invitational.  Eastern will battle the host squad on Friday before facing Saint Louis and UTEP the next day.

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