Box Score MUNCIE, Ind. – Eastern Illinois volleyball began play at the season-opening Ball State Active Ankle Challenge on Friday (Aug. 29) afternoon as the Panthers dropped a five set marathon to Northern Colorado (21-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-19, 15-10) despite enjoying an early two set lead.
Junior outside hitter
Chelsea Lee paced all Panthers with 17 kills, while classmate
Abby Saalfrank nabbed her second career kill-dig duo-duo with 14 put-downs and 16 ups via the right side attack.
Fellow junior
Marah Bradbury notched her 23rd career assist-dig double-double as she dished out 42 assists and secured 14 digs. Â She came close to a triple double as also hit .562 in the loss behind nine kills with zero miscues.
Stephanie Wallace led the backcourt defense as the junior registered 17 digs and Lee finished with three blocks.
The entire contest featured multi-point runs by both squads in each set as the Panthers held on for wins in the opening two frames before the Bears countered with fast starts in the next two sets to tie it up at two-sets a piece a forcing a deciding frame.
Eastern held the advantage over UNC in kills (61 to 58), attacks (176 to 154), assists (59 to 54), and digs (93 to 85), while the Bears held a big lead in blocks (15.0 to five). Â Neither squad served particularly well as the two opponents combined for 21 errors and delivered just four aces apiece.
UNC also out-hit the Panthers, .253 to .153 as three Bear attackers finished with double-digit kills, led by Andrea Spastat's 15 put-downs with a .387 attack.
Panthers return to action on Saturday facing the host Cardinals at 10 a.m. before ending the tourney play against instate rival Western Illinois at 4:30 p.m. Â In the other tourney matchup on Friday, Ball State swept the Leathernecks.
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID
