CHARLESTON, Ill. - Multiple Panthers shined in the series opening sweep over Western Illinois. With the win, EIU improves to 7-15 (6-5 OVC), while the Leathernecks fall to 3-18 (3-8 OVC). The newcomers made an impact as rookie Kaeden Foxx recorded 11 kills without committing an error, marking the first error-free performance of her career. Defensively, freshman Emma Hanson set a new career high with seven blocks.  

Eastern Illinois responded to an early deficit with an 8-0 scoring run to take a 14-7 lead in the opening set. After the media timeout, Eastern Illinois continued to build momentum with five unanswered points to hold a 22-14 commanding lead. Jorah Rutter paced EIU early with a set-high four kills. The Panthers sealed the 25-18 first-set victory with back-to-back kills from Katie Kopshever and Kaeden Foxx. 

The second set remained closely contested with both teams exchanging points throughout. Eastern Illinois gained some separation with back-to-back points following the media timeout. Foxx helped maintain the Panthers' advantage, recording six of her 11 kills in the set. Western Illinois took just their second lead of the game after Teran's blocking error, giving WIU a 23-22 lead heading into the final stages of the set. The Leathernecks outhit EIU with a match-high .294 hitting percentage in the set. A kill by Foxx, followed by a Western Illinois setting error, gave the Panthers a narrow 24-23 advantage and set point. However, WIU answered with back-to-back kills to put EIU on the defensive. The Panthers responded with a clutch 3-0 run to close out the set, securing a 27-25 victory and taking a 2-0 match lead. 

Both teams traded lengthy scoring runs to open the final set, but EIU maintained the upper hand heading into the scheduled media timeout. The Panthers offense exploded in the third set with 11 kills and a .375 hitting percentage. Teran led the Panthers with 12 kills, reaching double figures with a timely bloop kill that extended EIU's advantage to 21-16. After Western Illinois added a point, EIU responded with four consecutive points to seal the match. Alanays Nieves delivered the knout out blow with three consecutive service aces to close out the match, giving Eastern Illinois eight aces on the night.
 

---

LINDENWOOD 3, UT MARTIN 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - The Lindenwood women's volleyball team (20-3, 10-1 OVC) swept UT Martin (10-14, 5-8 OVC) on Thursday evening in their first match back following the bye week. The Lions continued to rely on a balanced offensive attack with three players in double digit kills.

The opening set featured four lead changes, with the Lions creating some separation late with a quick 4-0 run before holding off the Skyhawks for a 25-23 win. Susanna Beretti led the Lindenwood attack with six kills on a .500 hitting percentage in the frame.

After going ahead 3-2 early in the second frame, Lindenwood never loosened their grip on the lead, growing their advantage to as many as 10 points in route to a 25-18 win. LU recorded four service aces in the set while Ashley Geluck posted a team-leading five kills.

Lindenwood overcame an early 4-0 deficit to win the third set, taking the match with another 25-23 victory behind six kills from Lauren Ortwerth, who finished the match with a team-leading 14 kills (4.67 KPS) on a .429 hitting percentage.

Autumn Bax and Susanna Beretti were also in double digit kills with 11 apiece, with both players hitting at a .450 clip in the match as the Lions recorded a team hitting percentage of .387 – their second highest of the season.

Kaci Johnson averaged 14 assists per set with 42 total helpers in the contest, her second most in a three-set match this season. She also added three service aces and three kills to her performance.

Defensively, Dana Grib led the Lions with 15 digs, averaging five digs per set. Susanna Beretti also registered double digit digs with 11 for a double-double.