After coming out of its first two Ohio Valley Conference matches with a 1-1 conference record, the Eastern volleyball team hopes to raise its record above .500 as it takes on Murray State at 7 p.m. today in Murray, Ky.

Following a three-set sweep of defending OVC champion Tennessee Tech Saturday, the team hopes to build off that success against the Racers.

“Hopefully, we can continue playing good defense,” sophomore middle blocker Melanie Boykins said.

Just like the Panthers, Murray State is 1-1 in OVC play. However, they are only 1-10 overall, including a 10-game losing streak to start the season.

To win, the Panthers said they will need to play more like they did against Tennessee Tech as opposed to how they played in their first OVC game against Jacksonville State Friday.

“We committed a lot of hitting errors,” head coach Alan Segal said referring to the match against the Gamecocks.

Murray State will look to carry the momentum it gained in Saturday’s victory over Eastern Kentucky against the Panthers.

The Racers swept Eastern Kentucky in three straight sets (25-23, 25-20, 25-14).

Though a young team, Murray State has some players that could cause the Panthers trouble.

In the victory over Eastern Kentucky, Racers’ junior outside hitter Becca Lamb recorded 12 kills and had a .440 attacking percentage, which led the team.

Lamb played in all but two matches for the Racers last season, and ended the year with 249 kills and 41 blocks.

Another potential threat to Eastern is the Racers’ sophomore setter Xiao Yu “Jade” Guo.

Guo was named the 2008 OVC Freshman of the Year.

She was the only Racer to participate in every single match of the season and quarterbacks the offense for Murray State.

Today’s match is the first of two between the Panthers and Racers, as they will face off once more on Oct. 31 in Lantz Arena.

The Panthers were swept by Murray State in three sets in both of the teams’ meetings last season.

On Sept. 23, 2008, the Racers beat the Panthers in straight sets in Lantz Arena.

The Racers rolled with scores of 25-17, 25-16, 25-16.

Junior outside hitter Alex Zwettler was the team leader in last year’s loss with nine kills, six digs and two blocks.

In the second meeting of the year in Murray, Ky., the Racers again won a straight-set match, defeating the Panthers 25-16, 25-12, 25-14.

Today’s match concludes a six-game stretch away from home for the Panthers.

They return home Friday and Saturday when they take on OVC foes Tennessee State Friday at 6 p.m. and Austin Peay Saturday at 2 p.m.

Both matches will be held in Lantz Arena.

Kevin Maras can be reached at 581-7944 or kjmaras@eiu.edu.

Junior setter Kylie Cavanah puts the ball up during the Sept. 8 game against University of Illinois-Chicago in Lantz Arena.(Eric Hiltner/The Daily Eastern News)

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