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Box Score

CHARLESTON, Ill. – After dropping the first two sets in their match against Eastern Kentucky, the Eastern Illinois volleyball team rallied back winning the third and fourth set and forced a fifth set against the visiting Colonels. Eastern Illinois had their comeback bid fall short against Eastern Kentucky as the Colonels held on for the five-set victory (18-25, 17-25, 25-23, 25-17, 11-15). Eastern Illinois falls to 4-18 (1-6 OVC) while Eastern Kentucky improves to 8-11 (3-4 OVC). The Panthers will look to shake off the loss as they host Morehead State Saturday afternoon in Lantz Arena at 2 p.m.

Eastern Kentucky jumped out to a 7-2 advantage to begin the first set on a kill by the Colonels' Cassie Knutson. Katie Sommer brought the deficit to five points once again at 14-9 on a kill. The Panthers attempted one final rally in the fourth set by using a 4-0 run, but EKU took the first set 25-18.

Back-to-back errors by Eastern Kentucky pulled the Panthers within a point in the second set at 9-8, but EKU would extend their lead to 15-9 with the help of a 5-0 run and forced the Panthers into a timeout. Josie Winner earned a kill out of the break, but EKU would soon find their rhythm after the point and earned the second set victory 25-17.

EKU appeared as if they would take the match in straight-sets as they took an early 5-1 advantage to begin the third set, but the Panthers had other plans in mind. Eastern Illinois chipped away and eventually took their first lead of the set at 8-7 on a block by Allie Hueston and Winner. After a kill by Sommer broke a 9-9 tie, the Panthers began to pull away. EKU found their way back into the set and knotted the score at 17-17 before an EIU timeout. The two teams would exchange leads until a block by Gina Furlin and Hueston put the Panthers ahead 20-19. EIU would hold the lead the rest of the way as a Maria Brown kill gave the Panthers a 25-23 win.

The Panthers carried their momentum from the third set into the fourth and took an 8-7 lead on a Hueston kill and began to take control of the set. The Panthers lead grew to as many as 10 points at 19-9 on a kill by Brown. EKU cut the deficit to five points at 20-15, but Hueston gave the Panthers the deciding point in the set on a kill to force a fifth set.

Once again the Panthers found themselves trailing early as EKU led 5-1, but Eastern Illinois would not go away quietly. A pair of kills by Brown pulled the Panthers within three points at 9-6 and again at 10-7. An EKU service error would trim the Colonels lead to 11-9, but Eastern Kentucky closed the fifth set scoring four of the final six points to pick up the 15-11 victory.

Brown set a new career-high as she finished the match with 20 kills to lead the Panthers. She also added 15 digs to pick up her sixth double-double of the season. Furlin posted a new career-high as she finished the match with 41 assists. Lindsey Powers paced the EIU defense with a career-high 20 digs, while Winner and Hayley Richardson chipped in 16 and 10 digs respectively.