CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois faces no trouble in the opening round of the two-match series against Tennessee State. With the win, EIU improves to 4-14 (3-4 OVC), while TSU falls to 0-16 (0-5 OVC). Jorah Rutter smashed a career high .625 hitting percentage.  

The Panthers exploded out of the gate, scoring six straight points. The run didn't stop there, as EIU used two separate scoring runs. Abana Teran's back-to-back kills were a part of a 3-0 run. Teran led the way for the Panthers offensively with 13 kills. After a TSU point, two miscues and a Katie Kopshever kill surged a 5-0 run to hold an 18-6 advantage. Kopshever was second behind Teran with 12 kills. Eastern Illinois faced no trouble the rest of the set, securing a set one win 25-12.  

TSU rebounded in set two, tightly competing with the Panthers, knotting the match 9-9. Both teams continued to trade points, with TSU holding a 15-14 advantage heading into the media break. Tennessee State's nine blocks kept the Tigers in the second and third sets. The tight contest was broken following three straight Panther points, all from the Tigers' miscues. TSU recorded 17 errors, which proved to be the difference. The Panthers held on to a 25-22 set two victory. 

Set three went the distance, as the Panthers offense slowed down with a .250 hitting percentage. EIU recorded a .324 set one hitting percentage and a .282 hitting percentage in set two. The Panthers held a 15-13 advantage entering the scheduled break. Teran and Rutter went back-to-back to remain out in front with a 19-16 lead. TSU broke the momentum, firing off three unanswered points to even the set at 19. An old-fashioned OVC wrestling match ensued, heading into the late stages of the closeout set. Either team was unable to create separation until Teran delivered a strike from the right side. A bad set by TSU ended the overtime set, with EIU closing the match with a 26-24 win.  

Alanys Nieves (20) and Hannah Hawksin (14) combined for 34 assists. Defensively, Arianda Pereles paced the Panthers with a match-best 25 digs. Alana Guibert continues her efforts with a team-best three blocks.