SPORTS
F R I DAY, O C TO B E R 19, 2012
N o. 43, V O LU M E 97
T H E DA I LY E ASTE R N NEWS
D A I LY E A S T E R N N E W S . C O M
7
VOLLEYBALL
Panthers set to face conference foes on road By Anthony Catezone Assistant Sports Editor
“Our offense, defense and passing were all in sync and we’re looking to replicate that and get that going more often.”
Abby Saalfrank, a freshman setter, spikes the ball over senior Emily Franklin during practice Tuesday. The Panthers take on Murray State Friday at 7 p.m.
The Eastern volleyball team will begin its first two matches in a fivegame, nine-day span this weekend. The Panthers will host Murray State at 7 p.m. on Oct. 19, followed by a match against Austin Peay at 2 p.m. on Oct. 20. The Panthers sit at 5-16 overall and are 2-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Since snapping their 10game losing streak, the Panthers are 2-1. Senior middle hitter Alison Berens said she and her teammates made it a point to have fun during their games, and that will transpire into wins. “I think the fun factor has definitely contributed to how we have been playing,” the team captain said. “I think just staying in the right mindset and keeping this attitude on a higher note keeps us focused on the game.” The Panthers are coming off a weekend also against Austin Peay (1212) and Murray State (4-14), where they were on the road. The Panthers split the weekend matches with the two conference foes, falling to Austin Peay in straight sets (25-23, 25-19, 25-22), before topping Murray State in a four-set affair (25-18, 17-25, 2725, 25-17). “Our offense, defense and passing
SOCCER, from page 8
FOOTBALL, from page 8
Eastern freshman goalkeeper posted her first career shutout against Murray State, in what was the Panthers’ first shutout of the year. The Panthers have recorded at least one shutout since 1995 when the team began play. Following this weekend, the Panthers will return home for their final match of the regular season against OVC newcomer Belmont,
Grugier-Hill said the interception was the biggest play he had made at any of level of football in his career. As for adjusting to life in Charleston, Grugier-Hill said he enjoys it and that he hasn’t had many troubles adapting to life in Illinois. “It’s just a different atmosphere,” he said. “The people here are really nice, they are really welcoming and they ask a lot of questions about Hawaii. I’ve made a lot of friends and I like it here. Although Grugier-Hill has enjoyed his time at Eastern, he said he is not fond of the cold weather and the lack of food selection around Charleston. “It’s kind of different,” he said. “Hawaii is the melting pot of all the cultures so it’s very diverse. We have a bunch of different foods, but over here it’s all chicken. Also, the coldness
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in what will be the first meeting between the two as conference opponents. The Panthers have made the post-season tournament the last 14 years, including every year under Perala. Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-2812 or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.
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Kate Price, head coach
were all in sync and we’re looking to replicate that and get that going more often,” head coach Kate Price said. “We did a great job at times just putting the ball away and that’s what we need to focus on.” Price said she had her team working on communication, leadership, teamwork and scouting in the upcoming days before last week’s matches. “We’ve been looking at different ways of communicating, just working toward leadership on the court and just ways to support each other, and different types of feedback and everything on those lines,” Price said. “Also, just breaking down to a different scouting report, so the girls are seeing it differently and I think it’s going to continue to help.” Murray State is the only team in the west division of the OVC that sits below Eastern. The Racers also posses
is starting to get to me. That’s probably the toughest part. ” Despite the lack of food selection and warm weather, Grugier-Hill is adjusting well to life in Charleston and is focused on improving as a football player in the upcoming years. “I want to add a lot of weight,” he said. “I need to keep working hard in the weight room, and I just want to work towards getting more playing time. Kamu Grugier-Hill and the Panthers will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 27 when it will travel to Richmond, Ky., to take on Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Kentucky. Jordan Pottorff can be reached at 581-2812 or jbpottorff@eiu.edu.
a 2-6 conference record, but a headto-head win by the Panthers has them ranked higher. Austin Peay is one of two teams in the west above .500 in conference play, as its boasts a 5-3 record. If Eastern is able to string together a five-game win streak, that will put the squad over .500 in conference play for the first time this season. With only 10 games remaining, nine of which are conference games, Eastern’s season is winding down and so are its hopes of making the OVC tournament. The Panthers will return to action not too long after, as they will stay home for a third game in a non-conference contest against St. Louis at 7 p.m. on Oct., 23 in Lantz Arena. Anthony Catezone can be reached at 581-2812 or ajcatezone@eiu.edu.