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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois volleyball made the first win of first-year head coach Sara Thomas career memorable as the Panthers rallied in the second set and edged Tennessee State winning 3-0.
 
The Panthers won 25-20, 25-23 and 25-23 to improved to 1-9 on the season.  TSU, which picked up its first win of the season on Sunday in a five-set win over EIU, fell to 1-9.
 
Eastern Illinois used a balanced attack in the opening set as the Panthers had six kills from Laurel Bailey and five from Danielle Allen.  EIU raced out to a 9-4 lead on a kill by Kameryn Sillmon and stretched the lead to 18-10 on a kill by Bailey.  TSU would close to within four points late in the set but would get no closer.  Aniya Williams had five kills in the first set for TSU as she would lead the Tigers on the afternoon with 12 in the match.
 
In the second set it was TSU that pulled out to the lead as the Tigers took a 18-13 lead following two attack errors by EIU and a kill by Kendall Bullock.  A block at the net by Sillmon and Kylie Michael ignited a short run by the Panthers as they closed to 18-16 on a service ace by Bailey.  The Panthers then tied the game at 21-21 on an attack error by TSU.  The Tigers hit just .073 in the second set.  Trailing 23-22, EIU scored the final three points with kills by Allen and Michael coupled with a miscue by TSU on the final point.   Allen had four kills in the set as she finished the match with 12, one of two EIU players with double figure kills.
 
Momentum in the final set bounced back-and-forth as the two teams were tied eight times in the match including five times after being knotted at 16-16 on a TSU kill by Mion Weldon that erased what had been a three point EIU lead.  One of the final ties of the set was at 22-22.  TSU then took a one point lead on a service ace by Gina Rivera Ortiz.  The final three points belonged to EIU as Bailey had back-to-back kills and Elisavet Papageorgiou won the match with an ace.
 
Bailey finished the match with 19 kills and eight digs as she became the 29th player in school history to join the 1,000 dig club.  Christina Martinez Mundo had 22 digs followed by Ashley Sharkus with 17 and Michael with 15.
 
Rivera Ortiz had 26 digs for TSU while Aria Holmes finished with seven blocks, two solo and five assisted.