Box Score

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Eastern Illinois went down in straight sets (20-25, 21-25, 21-25) on Friday night in their first match at the Maroon Classic against Florida International. For EIU, the loss drops their record to 2-10 on the season. EIU will play a pair of matches tomorrow at the Maroon Classic. Eastern Illinois will face Troy at 10 a.m. and Mississippi State at 2 p.m.

FIU broke an even 9-9 score to take a 10-9 lead in the first set and began to pull away from the Panthers. After FIU scored three-straight points, Eastern Illinois pulled within one point at 12-11 on a block by Abby Knight and Katie Sommer, but that would be as close as EIU would get the rest of the set as FIU took the first game 25-20.

It was the Panthers turn in the second set to break a 9-9 tie and take the lead over FIU. Maggie Rungie teamed up with Josie Winner and again with Taylor Smith on a pair of blocks to give EIU a 12-9 advantage. A kill by Knight would extend the EIU lead to as many as four points at 16-12, but FIU would not go away quietly. FIU rallied back to tie the set at 19-19, but the Panthers would find themselves out front again scoring the next two points. FIU would steal the second set away from EIU as FIU scored the final six points to take the second set 25-21.

EIU found themselves ahead early to begin the third set as a Winner kill put the score at 8-5 in favor of Eastern Illinois. EIU fought off a brief comeback attempt, but then FIU would tie the set at 11-11. FIU began to pull away as their lead grew to five points at 19-14 on a Taija Thomas kill. Eastern Illinois would cut the deficit to two points after Knight and Winner teamed up on a block to put the score at 19-17. EIU would keep the set close, but FIU would complete the three-set victory after winning the third set 25-21.

Smith ended the match with 13 assists and 12 digs for her third double-double of the season. Knight finished with a match-high six total blocks against FIU.