Eastern Illinois fell twice at the Indiana Classic, losing to receiving votes Cal Poly and #21 Indiana. EIU falls to 1-7 (0-0) on the season, while Cal Poly and Indiana both improve to 4-2 on the year.
EIU 0, Cal Poly 3
The Panthers held their own to open the match, narrowly falling 25-11 in a tightly contested first set. Eastern Illinois' offense was explosive, finishing the set with 14 kills and a season-best .379 hitting percentage. EIU jumped to an early 8-6 advantage before suffering 4-0 scoring. Both teams went point-for-points, knotted up at 17 a piece heading into the final stages of the set. Cal Poly kept the Panthers at arm's length, withstanding two separate EIU timeouts to close out the opening frame.
Set two was unkind to the Panthers as their hitting percentage dropped to .000 with only seven kills. Cal Poly ran away with the set 25-10, using 15 kills and a .682 hitting percentage to face no trouble.
The closeout set was very similar, with the Mustangs' high-powered offense smashing 14 kills with a .522 hitting percentage. Cal Poly dominated defensively, holding the Panthers to 11 kills with a .167 hitting percentage. EIU remained in the contest earlier on in set three, forcing a 12-12 tie. Unfortunately, Cal Poly remained out in front the rest of the way, closing out the third set 25-17.
Emma Fredrick led the Mustangs offensively, with a match-high 17 kills, finishing with a .517 hitting percentage.
For EIU, Peyton Castillo paced the match with 26 assists. Katie Kopshever was the only Panther in double-digit kills, finishing with 11.
By The Numbers:
EIU: 87 Attacks, 32 Kills, 29 Assists, .184 Hit%, 2 Aces, 27 Digs, 3 Blocks
Cal Poly: 79 Attacks, 45 Kills, 42 Assists, .570 Hit%, 8 Aces, 34 Digs, 5 Blocks
EIU 0, #21 Indiana 3
The Panthers opened their second match of the day's trading points but trailed heading into the media timeout 15-12. The Hoosiers sped away using a 4-0 scoring run to overpower EIU, winning set one 25-16. Indiana scored three or more consecutive points four times to speed past the Panthers.
In set two, EIU kept themselves within striking distance but remained behind 15-10 at the break. In the late stages of the set, the Hoosiers separated, holding a seven-point lead, 21-14. The Panthers were unable to produce a late rally, falling 25-18. Offensively, the Panthers struggled, hitting .194 compared to Indiana's .365.
Indiana left no doubt in the match, quickly pushing past the Panthers in the final set. After a Hoosiers' 4-0 scoring ended, Indiana exploded for a match-high 7-0 run to hold a 17-8 advantage. EIU was unable to cut the deficit, suffering another multiple-point scoring run, falling 25-13.
Kopshever held her own offensively, producing 12 kills with a .269 hitting percentage and 12 total points. Castillo returned to the lineup after an injury, finishing with 25 assists.
Jaidyn Jager was the engine of the Hoosiers' offense, recording a match-high 14 kills with a .429 hitting percentage. Defensively, Keondreya Granberry and Ella Boersema each recorded five blocks.
By The Numbers:
EIU: 89 Attacks, 31 Kills, 30 Assists, .180 Hit%, 0 Aces, 33 Digs, 3 Blocks
Indiana: 92 Attacks, 46 Kills, 42 Assists, .391 Hit%, 8 Aces, 40 Digs, 9 Blocks
Up Next: EIU will face Illinois in their home opener at Gardella Family Court in McAfee Gym on September 16th at 6:00 PM.
