Typically when a team is more than a few games under .500 at the end of a season, the tendency is to call the season a failure, forget about it, and wait for next year.

Believe me, I’m a Cubs fan, I know all about losing seasons.

However, when the Eastern volleyball team finishes up its season this weekend in Lantz Arena, the players will be able to look back on their season and call it a success.

With two games left in the season, an overall record of 10-18, and a best-case scenario record of 12-18 after their next two games, the Panthers have had anything but a failure of a season.

Let me explain.

Failure is having a payroll consisting of millions of dollars, not winning a World Series in more than 100 years, and signing Milton Bradley to a three-year, $30 million contract.

What the volleyball team managed to do this year is double its win total from last year, incorporate two new experienced coaches into its organization, and battle through one of the most injury-plagued seasons in team history.

If that cannot be considered success, nothing can.

At this time last year, the volleyball squad was finishing up a miserable 5-24 season, nobody knew if head coach Lori Bennett was going to come back, and the future of Eastern volleyball looked anything but bright.

However, after the hiring of former 2007 Penn State National champion Katie Price as an assistant coach, and current head coach Alan Segal, the team has developed into a competitive and fun team to watch.

The 10-18 overall record thus far does not do justice to the improvement of the team in comparison to last season.

The Panthers started off the year with a 6-6 record and were arguably on their way to a winning season. Some setbacks came in the form of foot injuries to juniors Kelsey Orr and Erin Hake, followed by multiple injuries to various other players down the line.

But the team did not give up.

Even after a rough nine-game losing streak, the squad showed great competitiveness, and in the past few weeks they have shown they still have the ability to win.

With at least one win in each of their three weekends of play, the team is showing improvement, and is showing exactly why this year has been anything but a failure.

With a win or two in their final two games coming up in Lantz Arena, the Panthers can put the icing on the cake to a much-improved 2009 season.

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