The Eastern Illinois University Panthers earned their first win of the weekend on March 28, splitting two matches during the opening Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) weekend. The team lost to Chattanooga but rebounded with a sweep over Tennessee Tech, surpassing their win total from last year.
This performance marks an improvement for the Panthers, who had struggled previously. In their first match against Chattanooga, EIU was unable to secure a set victory and lost 5-0. Laura Paniagua and Giorgia Cappelletti fell in straight sets with scores of 21-13 and 21-12. The remaining pairs—Lilli Amettis and Sylvia Hasz; Tori Mohesky and Emma Schroeder; Katie Kopshever and Anaya Rawlinson; Kyla Coolman and Jorah Rutter—all dropped their matches in two sets as well.
In the second match of the day, EIU turned things around by sweeping Tennessee Tech 5-0. Paniagua and Cappelletti won in two sets (21-16, 21-15). Amettis and Hasz were pushed to three sets but secured victory with scores of 21-15, 16-21, and 15-11. Mohesky and Schroeder also claimed a win in straight sets (24-22, 21-14), while Kopshever and Rawlinson overcame an early setback to win their match in three sets (14-21, 21-19, 16-14). Ariadna Pereles and Alanys Nieves completed the sweep for EIU with set victories of 21-18 and 21-14.
The results show progress for the Panthers as they move forward into conference play. The next challenge will be hosting Lindenwood for their official home opener on April 3 at 2:00 PM.
Looking ahead, this momentum may help build confidence for Eastern Illinois University’s team as they continue through the season.
