Sophomore outside hitter Kaitlyn Flynn led the Eastern volleyball team to win the Geri Polvino Invitational 3-0 over the weekend after posting 63 kills in three matches.  

Flynn’s performance earned her Geri Polvino Invitational MVP and she set the four-set record for the Panthers with 86 attack attempts, which was set in 2004. Flynn also set a new career high with 29 kills over Eastern Kentucky.  

The Panthers are now 5-5 overall and second in the Ohio Valley Conference.  

The Panthers started their weekend against Purdue Fort Wayne, defeating the Mastodons in five sets. Flynn made her second start of the season, posting 19 kills. The Panthers posted a .268 hitting percentage.  

Freshman outside hitter Lilli Amettis had 13 kills against the Mastodons. Annika Black and Ella Collins added seven kills each. Catalina Rochaix had 29 assists and seven digs while Summerlyn Smith had 17 assists.  

Christina Martinez Mundo had 29 kills. Mundo currently leads the OVC in digs per set with five. Ashley Sharkus added seven digs for the Panthers.  

The Mastodons were led by Sidney Schiller with 16 kills and Iris Riegel with 13. Taya Haffner had 33 assists to lead the team. 

The Panthers then took on Saint Francis later that day, sweeping the Red Flash 3-0. Mundo was voted player of the game after collecting 22 digs along with five assists and two service aces.  

Flynn once again led the Panthers offensively with 15 kills and nine digs, posting a .257 hitting percentage. Collins posted a .259 percentage with nine kills.  

Rochaix and Smith split time at the setter position against the Red Flash. Rochaix and Smith had 14 and 13 assists, respectively. Both setters also each had four kills. 

Ireland Hieb and Black combined for five block assists. The Panthers’ defense totaled 54 digs with five players recording a service ace, including two from Elisavet Papageorgiou, Mundo and Smith. 

The Red Flash were led by Allison Murray and Korrin Burns with nine kills each. Kori McClure added 16 digs.  

Saturday was the day for the Panthers as they took on the Colonels and defeated them in four sets.  

Flynn led the Panthers with a career high of 29 kills and she also collected two service aces, three block assists and 15 digs, which is third on the team.  

Collins had 14 kills and Amettis led the Panthers in hitting percentage with .462. Hieb and Tori Mohesky had seven and six kills, respectively. Five different Panthers had at least one ace and Hieb led the team with eight blocks.  

Four Panthers had double digit assists against the Red Flash. Rochaix had a career-high of 31, Smith had 15 and Sylvia Hasz had 10. Mundo led the defense with 27 digs and 10 assists, and her performance landed her a spot on the All-Tournament team.  

The Red Flash were led by Molly Michalak with 12 kills and 17 digs. Sarah Mitchell led the Colonels defensively with 22 digs.  

The Panthers will be back in action Wednesday against Illinois State in Lantz Arena at 7 p.m. 

Autumn Schulz can be reached at 581-2812 or acschulz@eiu.edu