The Eastern volleyball team will compete in the University of Missouri at Kansas City Kangaroo Klassic, starting Friday and ending Saturday, in its third non-conference tournament of the season.

The Panthers, coming off a runner-up finish at the Drake Bulldog Invitational on Saturday that improved their record to 3-4, will take on Wake Forest, host UMKC and Presbyterian College in the two-day, four-team tournament.

“Being runner-up was definitely encouraging, but at the same time disappointing because we did not play our best,” junior middle hitter Stephanie Arnold said. “So, though we were runner-up, it’s not enough for us. We want to win these tournaments.”

Arnold said the Panthers let their opponents dictate their play too often at the Drake Bulldog Invitational, and that was the biggest struggle for the Panthers all tournament, one of the things they addressed this week in practice, she said.

“This week we really have been working on getting back to playing Eastern Illinois volleyball and not let what other teams are doing determine how we play,” Arnold said. “Another big thing we are working on is our communication on the court.”

Arnold, along with teammate Chelsea Lee, was named to the All-Tourney team at the Drake Bulldog Invitational.

Lee, a sophomore outside hitter, also won the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week for her performance at the invite — a team-high 44 kills (4.00 kills per set) and .379 attack, with just eight errors in three matches. 

She is second in the OVC in kills this season, while her 3.71 kills per set rank third in the conference. Lee’s .325 hit percentage is sixth among the OVC.

Arnold, meanwhile, is third in the OVC in both blocks and attack, with 1.04 blocks per set and a .381 hit percentage. She is also third on the Panthers’ roster with 63 kills.

Eastern will first play Wake Forest at 11 a.m. Friday. Eastern beat Wake Forest in four sets last season at the Marquette Classic, but the Demon Deacons were 3-5 after that tournament last season.

This season, the Demon Deacons are 5-1 under first-year coach Ken Murczek from Chicago.

They are led by middle hitters Kristin Grissom and Matalee Reed with 65 and 64 kills, respectively. Reed is hitting a team-high .333, and Grissom is second with .313.

Grissom is 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 1.14 blocks per set.

Eastern will then play host UMKC at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The Kangaroos also sport a 3-4 record this season, being 0-1 at home and all three wins coming at neutral sites.

Outside hitter Jessica Hendin leads the Kangaroos with 69 kills, but has the second lowest attack of anyone on the team to record a kill — hitting .109.

Right side hitter Sydney Crimmins is second in kills with 65, third in attack with .223 and first in blocks per set with 1.46.

On Saturday, Eastern will play Presbyterian at 11 a.m. The Blue Hose are 1-7 on the season, five of those losses came a three-set sweeps. Their lone win was against Georgia State on Aug. 30.

Middle hitter Andrea Barman leads Presbyterian with 64 kills behind a .202 attack.

Eastern is 1-1 on the road this season and 2-3 at neutral sites.

Anthony Catezone can be reached at 581-2812 or ajcatezone@eiu.edu.