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Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois beach volleyball (0-1, 0-0 OVC) dropped their home opener against NAIA Missouri Baptist (3-2, 0-0) by a final score of 3-2. It marked the first ever home beach volleyball match in EIU history.
The number four pair of
Catalina Rochaix and
Kate Dean got Eastern their first point of the day after sweeping the first two sets against Natalie Edson and Sarah Klunder from Missouri Baptist. It marked Dean's first ever beach volleyball match and win. The pair won in two sets: 21-16, 21-13.
Despite the loss, the number five pair of
Emily Wilcox and
Ella Collins battled in their first pairing of the season. The two battled the Spartans to a final third set in which they loss 15-9. Collins and Wilcox lost 21-23 in the first set and won the second by a score of 21-18.
In the third match, returning Panther
Christina Martinez Mundo and newcomer
Lilli Amettis were defeated in three sets by Marina Obradovic and Isidora Stojovic. The pair battled back and fourth in the first two sets with Mo. Baptist taking the first 21-14 and the Panthers coming back with a 21-16 second. The Spartans would close out the match with a 15-9 final and get their second point of the evening.
Kaitlyn Flynn and
Sylvia Hasz would make sure EIU did not go down without a fight as they battled to a hard fought three set win during the number two pairings. EIU took the first set by a final of 21-17 and fell in the second 15-21. After trailing 7-11 in the final frame, Hasz and Flynn battled back to take the win (16-14) and push the match to a sudden death.
Eastern Illinois' number one pairing of
Tori Mohesky and
Giovana Larregui Lopez ultimately fell short against Missouri Baptist's Emma Lattimore and Kirsten van der Vleuten by scores of 13-21 and 11-21.
Last season, EIU only had one match that came down to the final pairing (Jacksonville State 3 EIU 2). The Panthers will be back on March 24 and 25 as they travel to their first OVC Weekend in Chattanooga where EIU will play four of the six OVC teams. EIU will play two matches on the 24th and two on the 25th.
