The football team is not the only Eastern team playing at home this weekend. 

The Eastern volleyball team will be hosting Tennessee-Martin for a pair of conference matches on Friday and Saturday.

The Panthers are searching for their first win in conference play after an 0-9 start, while Tennessee-Martin is currently on a 3-match losing streak, dropping their conference record to 6-4 on the season. 

Eastern is coming off a pair of losses to Belmont last weekend, despite playing some close sets against the Bruins.

The Panthers won the first two sets against Belmont in the match last Friday, but then dropped three sets in a row by scores of 26-24, 27-25 and 15-13. They lost the next match 3-1.

Tennessee-Martin dropped a midweek match against Southeast Missouri early last week and then lost two matches to Morehead State over the weekend. 

The Skyhawks are now in fourth place in the OVC.

In two matches last season, the Skyhawks beat the Panthers in straight sets both times.

Eastern leads the all-time series 31-21, but Tennessee-Martin has won the last four matches.

Eastern enters the matches this weekend ranked seventh in the conference overall in hitting percentage (.168), but this number has decreased in conference season. 

They are hitting .149 in conference play, which it tied with Tennessee State for last in the OVC.  

Tennessee-Martin has seen the opposite trend.

The Skyhawks are hitting .162 overall but are hitting .187 in conference play, which ranks sixth in the OVC. 

Each team has individual players who appear on conference leaderboards this season. 

In conference play this season, middle blocker Karen Scanlon of Tennessee-Martin ranks ninth in kills per set with 2.89 kills per set. 

Middle blocker Zoe Merriweather leads the OVC in blocks per set in conference play this season with 1.45. 

Eastern libero Christina Martinez Mundo is tied for fourth in the OVC in digs per set in conference play with 4.81. 

Martinez Mundo also ranks in the top 10 in service aces, averaging .28 aces per set in conference play. 

Including nonconference statistics, Eastern outside hitter Danielle Allen ranks ninth in the OVC with 3.12 kills per set. 

The match Friday is set to begin at 3 p.m. from Lantz Arena. Saturday’s match will start at noon. 

Adam Tumino can be reached at 581-2812 or ajtumino@eiu.edu