CHARLESTON, Ill. – The University of Missouri Volleyball team (7-3) fell to undefeated Eastern Illinois (10-0) Thursday at Lantz Arena.
The Panthers grabbed the match, 25-22, 25-21, 25-13, to open the two-match series. Mizzou and EIU will conclude the series Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., CT.
FIRST SET (25-22 EIU, EIU leads 1-0)
Eastern Illinois jumped out to a 4-0 lead Thursday that grew to 7-2.
Three unanswered points by the Panthers pushed the edge to 16-9.
The Tigers utilized a 5-0 rally to trim the deficit to 20-16 which prompted an EIU timeout. Morgan Isenberg had a hand in four of the points with a pair of kills and two block assists.
Jordan Iliff then registered a trio of kills on a 4-1 Mizzou run to make the Panthers lead 22-20.
A rally stopper from Naomi Franco fended off set point, 24-22, before EIU claimed the set on a kill by Natalie Mitchem.
Iliff (.429) and Franco (.667) each tallied four kills in the first frame Thursday.
SECOND SET (25-21 EIU, EIU leads 2-0)
The Panthers once again started strong, going up 7-3 and bringing on a Mizzou timeout leading 10-6.
Trailing 16-11, the Tigers cut the edge to two (17-15) after a Janet deMarrais kill followed by an Iliff ace.
EIU widened the advantage to 21-16 as Mizzou would come within two (22-20 and 23-21) after a Panthers service error and a rally stopper from Kimani Johnson.
Johnson recorded a trio of kills in set #2 on a .400 clip with a dig and a block.
The Panthers then increased their lead in the match to 2-0 with consecutive kills from…
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