Volleyball Ends Regular Season With Loss to Panthers

Nov. 13, 2009

CHARLESTON, Ill. (Friday, November 13, 2009) The postseason fate of the Redhawks volleyball team rests in the hands of other Ohio Valley Conference teams after the Redhawks squandered a chance to clinch a OVC Tournament berth on Friday evening. Playing a team that they had not lost to in over four years, the Redhawks dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 (19-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-14, 13-15) road loss to Eastern Illinois at Lantz Arena in their regular season finale.

The Panthers (11-18, 4-12 OVC) looked pass their nine-straight loses to the Redhawks (13-17, 8-10 OVC) and took the opening set thanks to a 15-6 run to end the set.

The Redhawks won a tightly contested second set. Trailing 21-17, the Redhawks went on a 8-0 run to steal the second set victory and splitting the sets at 1-1.

The third set went back and forth. After rallying to regain the lead late the Redhawks were serving for set point but the Panthers recorded the side out and won the next two points for the win and a 2-1 lead.

The Redhawks rallied to tie the match at 2-2 thanks to their defense as they held the Panthers to 14 points and a .025 attack percentage. The Redhawks had a .282 attack percentage recording 16 kills in the fourth set.

The fifth and final set saw the Redhawks fall behind 8-4. A 5-0 run gave the Redhawks a 9-8 lead but the Panthers would reel off three-straight points to go ahead 12-9. The Redhawks mounted one last run and tied the set at 13-all but the Panthers won the set and the match with the last two points including Alex Zwettler's match-winning kill.

The Redhawks lost despite recording a better attack percentage (.190 to .121) and committing less attack errors (23-36).

Emily Maher had her best match of her young career as she led the team with a career-best 17 kills. She recorded just one attack error for a .410 attack percentage. She tied a career-high with eight blocks including six block assists.

Fellow middle Emily Hughes had 15 kills and a .270 attack percentage. She also had a season-high seven block assists.

Senior Amanda Rickhoff recorded her third-straight double-double with ten kills and a match and career-best 29 digs.

Sarah Barth led the team with 48 assists and also added seven kills and nine digs.

Molly Davis had 18 digs with Kelly Benacka and Claire Keaton each chipping in 13 and 12 digs respectively.

Kelsey Orr led all players with 25 kills on 70 swings. She did committ 18 attack errors however. She also added 11 digs for a double-double. Zwettler had 15 kills. Brittany Wallace led the Panthers with 27 digs. Chrissie Albers led all players with 50 assists and also had 16 digs for the double-double.

The Redhawks, currently in the sixth and final spot for the OVC Tournament berth, need seventh place Eastern Kentucky to lose one of their final two matches. The Colonels face Tennessee Tech at home on Saturday and then have to travel to Eastern Illinois sometime next week for a make-up match to determine who will make the OVC Tournament. A loss tomorrow against the Golden Eagles and the match against the Panthers would not be necessary and the Redhawks would move on to their OVC record 19th-straight OVC Tournament which would start on Thursday, November 19 in Jacksonville, Alabama.