Eastern Illinois was unable to maintain the momentum after an opening set victory. The Panthers fall to 2-14 (1-4 OVC), while UT Martin improves to 7-9 (2-3 OVC).
The Panthers began the match on fire, leading 15-11 heading into the media timeout. Katie Kopshever, who recorded her third double-double of the season (23 kills & 12 digs), broke a Skyhawk 3-0 scoring run to maintain a narrow 17-15 advantage. Both teams traded points, with the Panthers holding a slim 22-20 lead entering the final stages of the set. Eastern Illinois closed out the set on a 3-0 scoring run led by Abana Teran and Mirea Thederahn. EIU finished the set with 10 kills on a .143 hitting percentage. UT Martin's two extra miscues and the Panthers' three service aces proved to be a difference maker in the opening set.
Sets two and three were tightly contested, but the Panthers were unable to climb over the hump. UT Martin began the second set, scoring seven out of the eight first points. EIU cut the deficit to within one (10-9) after Kopshever tallied the Panthers' fourth of nine service aces. In between the media break, EIU took their first lead of the set off four unanswered points. Eastern Illinois kept the energy rolling, scoring three straight, holding a 20-19 late advantage. However, as the Panthers were within two points of closing the set, UT Martin exploded for a late rally, scoring the final six out of seven points, winning 26-24.
The Panthers' late third-set comeback did not faze the Skyhawks after tying the match at 21 apiece. UT Martin's 5-0 and 7-0 scoring runs were too much to overcome in the third set. EIU did outkill the Skyhawks 17-14, but eight attack errors held the Panthers in check.
EIU was unable to slow down the Skyhawks offense in set four, as UT Martin finished with a 0.321 hitting percentage compared to the Panthers –0.115. Eastern Illinois' offense faltered, recording just five kills. UT Martin closed out the match with a 25-12 set four win.
Ariadna Pereles was a bright spot for the Panthers, recording 21 digs, moving her to five digs away from the 1000 career digs milestone.
Alanys Nieves (26) and Hannah Hawksin (14) directed the Panthers offense with 40 combined assists.
By The Numbers:
EIU: 153 Attacks, 47 Kills, 46 Assists, .098Hit%, 9 Aces, 64 Digs, 5 Blocks
UT Martin: 147 Attacks, 52 Kills, 51 Assists, .218 Hit%, 3 Aces, 68 Digs, 12 Blocks
Up Next: The Panthers and Skyhawks will meet one more time tomorrow at 2:00 PM.
