Eastern hosts the EIU Pepsi Challenge tournament today starting at 10 a.m. and face Memphis, Indiana State and Loyola (Chicago) and will see another opponent, Iona, though they will not play them.

They say they just want to go play.

“We haven’t talked about the other teams that much,” sophomore libero Shaina Boylan said.

Boylan said the team has not concentrated on studying the other teams as much as they have just practiced and trained themselves.

Coach Lori Bennett said the team is confident going into this weekends’ tournament and they feel they have good information over each team they will face.

This is the first tournament held at Lantz Arena since 2005.

Bennett thought it would be wonderful to win the tournament in front of a home crowd, but that winning in general is all she is concerned about.

“We expect the same out of every player every practice, match and competition,” Bennett said. “A tournament is a tournament and a win is a win.”

But Bennett did add that being successful at the tournament may bring in more fans because that would be two consecutive successful weekends for the team.

“Nobody wants to come and watch a losing team,” Bennett said. “I think the more matches we win, the more people will come watch us play.”

Bennett said that there will not be much stress from the fact that this is a home game.

“We’re excited to play at home in front of our crowd,” she said. “But pressure won’t come from the stands.”

But Bennett said there is stress, but that it is natural.

She said the upperclassmen want to win because it’s their senior year and may be their last time to play at home. She said the underclassmen may have some added stress because they are young and could be anxious.

Senior setter Maren Crabtree said earlier in the week that she thought the younger players would be excited for the tournament to be at home.

She was right.

Boylan said because she is a sophomore and because there had not been a tournament held last years, this would be her first home tournament and she is excited about it.

Playing in two consecutive tournaments does not worry Bennett or the players that much.

Bennett said that her starting lineup will not change because of the two consecutive tournaments. She said the best performing players will continue to play on the court.

“Lineup changes will be made by the performances made on the court,” she said. “It’s a don’t fix it philosophy. If someone is hitting .300, I’m not taking them out to rest them.”