Eastern Illinois swept Western Illinois behind a balanced team effort, rallying from an early deficit in the opener and winning a tightly contested second set before pulling away in the third. Freshman Kaeden Foxx delivered 11 error-free kills, while Emma Hanson set a career high with seven blocks. Alanays Nieves closed out the match with three straight service aces.

By the Numbers
  • EIU won 25-18, 27-25 and 25-16.
  • Foxx had 11 kills without an error; Jorah Rutter added a team-high 12 kills.
  • EIU recorded 8 aces and 10 blocks, compared with Western Illinois’ 1 ace and 5 blocks.
  • EIU improved to 7-15 overall and 6-5 in the OVC; Western Illinois fell to 3-18 overall and 3-8 in conference play.
Yes, But

Western Illinois matched EIU’s 42 kills and briefly led 23-22 in the second set. The Panthers answered with a three-point run to take the set and seize control of the match.

What’s Next

The teams will wrap up the series tomorrow at 4 p.m.

Bottom Line

EIU’s newcomers made a difference, but the sweep came from contributions across the lineup—and timely execution when the second set was on the line.