| EASTERN ILLINOIS at PENN STATE ALUMNI CLASSIC |
| Weekend Details | Fri.-Sat., Sep. 19-20, 2014 | Rec Hall (6,502) | in University Park, Penn. |
| Match Coverage | PSU Alumni Classic Central | Twitter | Facebook |
| EIU Panther info | Website | 5-4 in 2014 |
| East Carolina info | Website | 4-0 in 2014 |
| #3-Penn State info (host) | Website | 8-1 in 2014 |
| DePaul info | Website | 2-7 in 2014 |
| Illinois-Chicago info | Website | 4-8 in 2014 |
Pre-Weekend Notes (PDF)
CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Prior to starting Ohio Valley Conference action next week, Eastern Illinois volleyball will first finish up the non-league portion of the 2014 slate at this coming weekend's prestigious Penn State Alumni Classic.
EIU will match up with East Carolina on early 8 a.m. Friday match to begin the five-team event, before facing the host and #3-Ranked Nittany Lions at 3 p.m. Then on Saturday, the Panthers will battle a pair of instate foes, first taking on DePaul at 10:30 a.m. before battling Illinois-Chicago at 4 p.m. to end EIU's regular-season non-conference schedule.
All squads competing in the weekend tourney are currently coached by former Penn State players who had previously played for PSU skipper Russ Rose.
PENN STATE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
... all times central
FRI., SEPTEMBER 19
EIU vs. East Carolina ... 8 a.m. | Live Stats
East Carolina vs. Illinois-Chicago ... Noon
EIU at #3-Penn State ... 3 p.m. | Live Stats
DePaul at Penn State ... 6:30 p.m.
SAT., SEPTEMBER 20
Illinois-Chicago at Penn State ... 8 a.m.
EIU vs. DePaul ... 10:30 a.m. | Live Stats
DePaul vs. East Carolina ... 1 p.m.
EIU vs. Illinois-Chicago ... 4 p.m. | Live Stats
East Carolina at Penn State ... 7 p.m.
Live stats of all matches available via the PSU website (www.GoPSUsports.com).
PANTHER QUICK SETS
• EIU has two tourney runner-up honors under their belt this season, as the Panthers picked up second place at both the Ball State Challenge and Western Illinois Invitational to begin early season tourney play.
• Juniors Abby Saalfrank and Marah Bradbury have already earned six kill-dig and a pair of assist-dig double-doubles this season, respectively. Bradbury now sports 24 such performances during her EIU career, while Saalfrank now has seven all-time.
• Team-wise, the Panthers lead the opposition in several stat categories, including kills (462-to-425), assists (438-to-403), aces (38-to-32), digs (551-to-538), and total points (557.0-to-549.0). However, EIU does trail in the blocking game off a 57-to-92 stuff total deficit.
• Eastern continues to pace the entire OVC for assists-per-game (12.88), while ranking second in both kills (13.59) and digs (16.21) per contest. Panthers also sit third for opponent hitting % (.194).
• Individually, three different EIU players rank in the statistical OVC Top 10, as Saalfrank leads the way for both kills (3.82) and points (4.26) per set. Bradbury is also listed twice, ranking tops in assists (10.68) and seventh for hitting % (.320). Junior Stephanie Wallace also enjoys a third place mark for digs (4.35) per set.
• Panthers recently earned a pair of OVC Weekly Accolades, as Saalfrank and Wallace nabbed respective 'Offensive' and 'Co-Defense Players of the Week' on September 8. Both honors were career firsts for the junior pair.
• EIU also finds themselves ranked in the NCAA Top 75, as their 39.24 team attacks-per-set ranks sixth nationally. While also sitting at No. 43 for digs-per-set and 48th for assists-per-set. Bradbury's 10.68 assists-per-set not only leads the OVC but ranks 48th in the NCAA.
• Friday afternoon's contest at #3-Penn State will mark the 11th time that the Panthers have faced a ranked opponent, as EIU is still winless at 0-10 overall. The #3-Rank by PSU is the highest opponent that the Panthers have ever faced, while the Nittany Lions were at No. 4 back in 2012 when Eastern last faced a ranked opponent.
QUOTING COACH KATE PRICE
• "I am excited to have the opportunity to take our ladies back to Rec Hall this fall," said EIU head coach Kate Price, "and to be coaching along side of some amazing coaches that I look up to a great deal."
• "I think this is a great opportunity for the ladies to play another Big Ten team and to see what the #3-Ranked squad looks like," she added.
• "I am also excited for the ladies to see where Ryan and I came from, and to see our former programs," said Price. "I also think that it will be a fun opportunity to see Chelsea Lee play against her younger sister, Simone, and see what comes of it."
SCOUTING THE TOURNEY
• The Panthers own a combined 34-26 all-time mark versus the upcoming weekend competition,.
EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
• East Carolina is under the direction of second year coach Julie Torbett, who played for Russ Rose at PSU from 1986-89.
• The Pirates enter the weekend with a perfect 4-0 mark but have not played in two weeks. One of their wins came via fellow OVC rival Tennessee Tech, as ECU swept the Golden Eagles to open the 2014 campaign.
• Sophomore Sydney Darden and freshman Ashton Mares lead the Pirate offense off respective 44 and 33 kills, while sophomore Ashley McRae's .396 attack paces all Pirates. Mares also owns the top serve with eight aces.
• Senior Zarah Cecich leads the offense with 114 assists, while McRae ties junior Kierra Lee-Dunson with 14 total blocks at the net and Darden owns the best dig tally with 40 ups.
• Friday morning's matchup between EIU and ECU will mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams on the volleyball court.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
• Currently ranked third in the nation thanks to an 8-1 overall mark, coaching legend Russ Rose enters his 36th season as Nittany Lion skipper, as he welcomes four additional squads being coached by his former players.
• After being ranked atop the polls, PSU fell to No. 3 following a tough five-set road loss to then #2-Stanford.
• Newcomer Ali Frantti leads PSU with 107 kills (3.57 kps), a .365 attack and 120.0 points. Juniors Megan Courtney and Aiyana Whitney follow with 80 and 75 put-downs, while also hitting .343 and .372 on the season, respectively.
• Senior Nia Grant's impressive .513 attack average and 26 total blocks naturally leads her squad.
• Senior setter Micha Hancock has 347 assists and owns one of the toughest serves in the nation as she has already fired off 27 unreturnable hits behind the service line.
• Fellow senior Dominique Gonzalez has 110 total digs (3.67 dps) and five additional aces as the starting libero.
• EIU and PSU have met three times previously as the Panthers have yet to earn a win. Eastern was swept by the Nittany Lions in their most recent meeting in Happy Valley back in 2012.
DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS
• DePaul is coached by Nadia Edwards, a 1997-00 player for coach Rose at PSU, as she enters her fifth season in the windy city.
• The Blue Demons are just 2-7 on the early campaign, with their lone wins coming versus Bradley and Chicago State. They already lost a four-set match to fellow PSU Classic foe UIC earlier this month.
• Junior Saige Gallop leads her squad with 133 kills (3.91) and 145.0 points, while newcomer Myah Reed follows with 72 put-downs.
• Sophomore Randi Leath's .300 attack paces the full-time attackers for DePaul, while her 36 total roofs also ranks best in net defense.
• Junior Colleen Smith runs the offense via 294 assists, while also owning the top serve with 12 aces.
• Sophomore Lexi Chanos's 97 digs leads the back court defense for DePaul.
• Saturday's meeting will mark the 26 times that EIU and DePaul have met, as the Panthers own a sizeable 19-6 all-time series advantage. In fact, Eastern has won nine of the last 11 matchups.
ILLINOIS CHICAGO FLAMES
• Under sixth year skipper Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who played for coach Rose at PSU from 1998-01, the Flames enter the weekend at 4-8 thus far this season.
• UIC has actually lost their last three matches, including falling to WIU at home in five, who the Panthers have already beaten twice this year. UIC did out-last fellow OVC rival Eastern Kentucky in a four-set affair and have beaten fellow PSU Classic opponent DePaul.
• Junior Stephenee Yancy leads her team with 189 kills (3.94 kps), a .359 attack and 209.5 points. Sophomore Kara Johnson follows closely with 157 kills of her own and impressive dig numbers with 124 ups.
• Senior Sara Sternard is hitting .279 off 134 put-downs while leading the net defense with 33 blocks, as Yancy has added 31 stuffs of her own.
• Redshirt freshman Nicole Johnson sports 575 assists and a top service game with 13 aces.
• Senior Maggie Strus owns 183 total digs on the season to lead the back row defense.
• Although the Panthers just barely trail the all-time series with UIC, 17-15, EIU has actually won six of the last eight meetings with the Flames.
EIU OPENS OVC PLAY NEXT WEEK
• Next week the Panther will finally open Ohio Valley Conference action, as the Panthers travel to Cookeville, Tenn. and Jacksonville, Ala. to face the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech and Gamecocks of Jacksonville State on Friday (Sep. 26) and Saturday (Sep. 27), respectively.
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID
