Box Score
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – In the final day of their season opening tournament at the Country Inn & Suites Green Bay Invitational, the Eastern Illinois volleyball team was set to face South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits won the match in straight-sets as the Panthers fell to 0-3 to begin the season. EIU will return to Charleston and host Butler in their 2016 home opener this Tuesday (Aug. 30) at 6 p.m.
The Panthers led at 1-0 and again at 3-2 to begin the first set as
Gina Furlin started the game with an ace. After EIU scored their third point in the set, South Dakota State began to find their rhythm. The Jackrabbits would go on a pair of three-point runs and a four point run before a kill by
Taylor Smith brought the Panthers within six points at 15-9. South Dakota State ended the first set scoring the final three points to take the first game by a score of 25-14.
A service error by South Dakota State in the early part of the second set appeared to give Eastern Illinois some momentum. The Panthers rattled off five-straight points highlighted by a Furlin kill and an ace by
Hayley Richardson and led 6-3. South Dakota State began to chip away at the EIU lead and tied the set up at 8-8. The Jackrabbits began to pull away as they went on to score six of the next seven points to take a 14-9 lead. The Panthers tried to make a comeback of their own, as a
Josie Winner kill cut the deficit to three points at 20-17. The Panthers found themselves trailing by just three points once more at 23-20, but South Dakota State would put the second set away at 25-20.
Just like the second set, the Panthers found themselves with an early lead to start the third set. Back-to-back kills by Smith and
Maria Brown gave EIU their largest lead at 9-6. The Jackrabbits would once again use a pair of big runs to overtake the lead at 17-11. The Panthers attempted one final comeback as a kill by
Katie Sommer and a South Dakota State error brought EIU within three points at 20-17. That would be as close as Eastern Illinois would get however as the Jackrabbits won the third and final set 25-20.
Winner and Brown paced the EIU offense as the pair posted seven kills each. Brown added nine digs to her match total.
Lindsey Powers posted 12 digs to lead the Panthers.
Taylor Smith was named to the Country Inn & Suites Green Bay Invitational All-Tournament Team.
