Eastern Illinois was unable to string together a consistent rhythm on Friday night against Notre Dame, falling in three sets. With the loss, EIU falls to 1-9 (0-0 OVC), while Notre Dame improves to 2-6 (0-0 ACC).
The Panthers fell behind early in set one, trailing 18-9, but Alanys Nieves' substitution surged the Panthers back into the match. Nieves finished with 18 assists on the night. Powered by two separate 4-0 scoring runs to cut the deficit within three (20-17). Unfortunately, Notre Dame was unfazed, closing out set one 25-22.
EIU had an improved start to begin set two, jumping out of the gate to hold an early 8-3 advantage. The Irish raced back into control fueled by a 9-0 run to explode for a 17-12 lead. The Panthers battled back but fell short, falling 25-19.
Set three, the Irish held control heading into the media timeout with a 15-11 advantage. Notre Dame's offense was too strong to handle, pushing the lead out to 20-13 in the late stages of the set. The Irish finished the match with 41 kills with a .243 hitting percentage. Mae Kordas (16) and Isabella Sangha (13) each recorded double digit kills.
The Panthers showed life but were unable to shrink the deficit to within four or less, falling 25-19, losing the match in three sets.
Katie Kopshever led the Panthers on both sides, recording a team-high 12 kills and three blocks. Kopshever was the only panther to reach double-digit kills.
Nieves directed the offense with a match-high 18 assists. Defensively, Arianda Pereles (18) and Peyton Castillo reached double figure digs.
Kyla Coolman returned home to play in front of her family, appearing in two sets.
By The Numbers:
EIU: 120 Attacks, 36 Kills, 32 Assists, .125 Hit%, 3 Aces, 45 Digs, 4 Blocks
ND: 107 Attacks, 41 Kills, 36 Assists, .243 Hit%, 4 Aces, 47 Digs, 11 Blocks
Up Next: The Panthers will quickly make their way back to Charleston to face Notre Dame once again in a rare home-and-home series.
