Eastern Illinois was outpaced by nationally ranked BYU, suffering a sweep to open the BYU/Utah Nike Invitational. EIU falls to 1-3 (0-0 OVC), while the Cougars remain undefeated with a 3-0 (0-0 Big 12) start to the season.
The Panthers struggled to find their footing in the first two sets, with a below-zero hitting percentage.
EIU held their own defensively, finishing the match with 35 digs and six blocks, including four from the recent OVC Defensive Player of the Week, Emma Hanson. Their defense led them to a contested third set, in which the Panthers held a 15-13 lead heading into the media timeout.
Eastern Illinois continued to maintain a small lead with a 20-19 advantage in the late stages of the set.
However, BYU scored the remaining four out of five points to clinch the match victory.
By The Numbers:
EIU: 77 Attacks, 26 Kills, .130 Hit%, 1 Aces, 35 Digs, 6 Blocks
BYU: 92 Attacks, 37 Kills, .250 Hit%, 8 Aces, 29 Digs, 9 Blocks
Katie Kopshever led the team with nine kills, and Hannah Hawksin led with 20 assists. Defensively, Ariadna Pereles held the top spot for EIU with 11 digs.
Up Next: Eastern Illinois will continue the BYU/Utah Nike Invitational against Long Beach State on Friday at 5:00 PM CT.
