2023.12.06

Semester

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Eastern News

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Rob Le Cates DENeic@gmail.com

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Cam’ron Hardy dennewsdesk@gmail.com

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Opinions Editor Ellen Dooley denop.eds@gmail.com

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About

The Daily Eastern News is produced by the students of Eastern Illinois University. It is published weekly on Wednesday, in Virden, Ill., during fall and spring semesters and online during the summer term except during university vacations or examinations. One copy per week is free to students and faculty. Additional copies can be obtained for 50 cents each in the Student Publications Office in Buzzard Hall.

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HERC’s ‘Snoozin Like a Panther’ presentation

By Gabriel Newman Reporter | @DEN_News

Eastern’s Health Education Resource Center (HERC) sponsored a presentation about how to get quality sleep on Thursday in the Mattoon/Charleston room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union building.

The presentation, titled “Snoozin’ Like A Panther,” gave students the opportunity to learn about beneficial bedtime habits and clear up common misconceptions about sleep.

“Snoozin’ Like A Panther” was presented by Heath Promotion Coordinators Maggie Bollinger and Jayci Stewart and was attended by three people.

Bollinger and Stewart started by saying that the college lifestyle does not promote good sleeping habits, and that 70-96 percent of college students do not get at least eight hours of sleep every night.

They cleared up misconceptions regarding sleep, debunking common sayings like “I can sleep when I’m dead,” and explained that pulling all-nighters in order to study for an exam is not worth it.

“More sleep results in better academic performance,” they said. “A and B performing students are getting only 25 minutes more sleep than C or lower students. A little more sleep per night can significantly impact your grades.”

Stewart and Bollinger gave tips on how to improve sleep, such as waking up and going to bed within the same hour every night, taking in sunlight or other bright lights when you wake up, and avoiding caffeine as far as six hours prior to bedtime.

They said that people who have a regulated sleep schedule eat less as well.

Jayci Stewart and Maggie Bullinger present their “Snoozin’ Like a Panther” presentation to form an informational presentation about how to improve a student’s sleeping habits on Monday afternoon.

“People who don’t get enough sleep tend to have a larger appetite than people who do get enough sleep,” they said.

Later, they said that people should wrap up eating a few hours before bedtime.

“We recommend to finish eating dinner 2-3 hours before going to sleep,” Bollinger said. “If you do need a bedtime snack, it is better to make it light.”

Bollinger said that she eats string cheese as her bedtime snack.

They also suggested only to sleep when feeling sleepy and limit daytime naps to 2030 minutes. They said that naps are most beneficial if done before 2 p.m. Exercising regularly was another tip provided, however they cautioned that exercising later than two hours prior to falling asleep because when you exercise, you’re raising your body temperature and adrenaline levels.

Lastly, they said that people should try to

manage their worries before bed.

Writing them down and setting it aside for the morning or talking them over with someone is a great way to alleviate some of the worries that you might be experiencing. They ended by reiterating the importance of getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night and to “sleep 8 to feel great.”

Fredy Pedroza, a computer and info technology major, was one of the attendees.

“I had an assignment for my University Foundations class, and I like learning about sleep, so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone,” Pedroza said.

He said that he learned a couple valuable tips from the HERC presentation.

“I learned about appropriate nap times,” Pedroza said. “I tend to take longer naps.”

Gabriel Newman can be reached at 581-2812 or at dennewsdesk@gmail.

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FRONT PAGE COVER BY ELLEN DOOLEY AND HARPER HANCOCK

FILE | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Hello Dali displays comedic chops in final performance

By Drew Coffey Reporter | @DEN_News

Plenty of laughs were had in the Grand Ballroom at the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Thursday from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. as Hello Dali performed their last show of the semester.

Starting in 1991, Hello Dali started as an Eastern improv organization where students perform several comedy exercises and on-the-spot skits.

The comedy group brought together students from many different majors including Board President Gunnar Olsen, a broadcast journalism major, Vice President Alonna Baisden, a television production major, Secretary Charlie Stauffer, a chemistry major, and Treasurer Lucas Grindley, a biology major.

Baisden said she enjoyed telling jokes to her friends, which is what led her to join the group her freshman year after attending Pantherpalooza.

“My freshman year, I had never really done a comedy thing before,” Baisden said. “I just like making jokes with my friends, so I was like you know a comedy club. I want to see where that comes from.”

After a couple of years in the group, Baisden said she wanted to be a representative on the organization board, to be a leader to those just starting out in comedy.

“I’m an older member so I want to be able to help other people,” Baisden said. “Being the Vice President is a good way for me to be able to help other people understand improv the way that I’ve come to understand it and also just grow myself and push myself to do new things.”

Baisden also said the club is a lighthearted opportunity that does not involve schoolwork.

“I think it’s a club that you can be in but it’s not so serious,” Baisden said. “So, I guess it’s just nice to have an organization on campus and to be a part of that. It’s just like I can sit back, and I just let go like I don’t have to worry about grades. I don’t have to think too much and I kind of just do and have a good time.”

recently joined Hello Dali and said he got involved simply from wanting to meet new people.

“The main reason was just to meet people and make friends,” Lane said. “So, this is kind of my first time performing in anything, so it’s a very new experience for me but I’m really liking it.”

The club is also an experience that allows him to express himself and feel a sense of community, according to Lane.

“One big thing is it just kind of makes me feel a part of the campus,” Lane said. “And just kind of be able to kind of show that fun side of things and not take anything seriously.”

“One big thing is it just kind of makes me feel a part of the campus”

-

Ethan Lane

With more than 30 people showing up to watch the group perform, those in the group are very appreciative, according to Baisden.

“It’s very validating I will say, and I mean we try to perform to the best of our abilities regardless and people call me because the whole point is just to get it out,” said Baisden. “But definitely when people come that builds up this energy and you know it like when you make jokes and people are laughing, it’s really awesome.”

Junior accounting major Ethan Lane

Jazie Lawver, a sophomore sociology major, was in the audience for the show and said she appreciates that students have the chance to show off their comedic chops.

“I think that’s really cool and I know improv is really hard to do, and they are great at it,” Lawver said. “So, like they’re getting the practice so if they want to go into comedy or theater, they can do it here.”

However, Hello Dali does not only take the stage at Eastern, as they have also performed at the University of Champaign-Urbana in Champaign in recent years. While this show was the last of the semester, they plan to have more shows and new members going into 2024.

Drew Coffey can be reached at 581-2812 or at akcoffey@eiu.edu.

BY DREW COFFFEY | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Hello Dali hosts their last show of the Fall semester. The group plans to continue performing in the spring semester.

Opinions

Top stories from the semester

This semester was filled with good and not so good things. We did see a lot more positives than negatives though. We saw Student Government have a comeback, a new formation of a dining hall, campus-wide access Adobe programs, and most important- a new university president.

Fall 2023 was a big semester for Panther Athletics and Eastern in the Ohio Valley Conference. The semester kicked off with men’s swimming allegations of hazing which were confirmed, but XC, volleyball, and football had winning seasons and all time records.

The staff at The News wishes everyone a relaxing and very much needed break from academics. We also wish you good memories and time spent with loved ones.

But before you hit the road and start singing Mariah Carey all the way home, here are the Editorial Board’s top stories of the semester.

Men’s swim team suspended for hazing

Hazing can happen anywhere, and this investigation proved how people shouldn’t just assume hazing doesn’t happen no matter the location or group size.

The results of this investigation are still unclear with suspensions, but the men’s swimming team are allowed to get back to competition.

Along with the news breaking during Hazing Week on the campus, the topic was brought up more before dwindling down until the investigation concluded.

Hazing is a serious topic that can leave victims in negative mindsets while feeling like they cannot speak up for themselves, and honestly, why hazing is still a thing is still mind-boggling.

University President Jay Gatrell had his first fall semester

Proceeding former University President David Glassman, Jay Gatrell has nearly closed out his first fall semester and he has handled it with grace.

He has the qualities of a good university president. He is present on campus and community, goes to sports games, holds dinners for student leaders and has made efforts toward improving faculty development, as seen in Plan 2028.

President Gatrell has also started a monthly newsletter that focuses on recognition of staff, faculty, and general Eastern community members. The newsletter is called “People of EIU.”

As well as being seen around campus, President Gatrell has hosted monthly “Community Office Hours” in the MLK Jr. Union. For this event, he encouraged people to come out and “chat with Jay about whatever EIU issues are on your mind!”

Student Government consistently met quorum this semester

Last semester, Student Senate only met quorum three times and during those meetings, the group approved a whole semester’s worth of RSO’s and other bills, revisions, budgets and more.

Karolina Guzek fulfilled a personal goal of reviving the senator roster in light of last semester’s resignation issue. She took the summer to plan recruiting materials and ideas for the semester.

She closed out her term as Speaker of the Senate last week and over the course of the semester she said Student Senate has made strides in how active the group is.

“In my three years of involvement with Student Government I have not seen this much eagerness, cohe -

sion and engagement among senators and executive members,” Guzek said.

Campus sees increase of rape reports

Campus has seen six rape reports since the start of the fall semester, compared to two in the spring semester.

One of the people who reported on Oct. 9, shared her story.

Campus gains access to free Adobe products

Students gained access to the Adobe Creative Cloud this semester. In the past, Adobe products were only available in the classroom labs and library. This allows students who utilize software for their major to work on projects while at home and when university buildings close.

Taylor, Thomas Dining combines

In response to decreased population and low traffic, Taylor and Thomas Dining consolidated into one dining center, South Quad Dining.

South Quad now has a different layout that features five main areas for students to choose from for meals.

There are still two traditional serving lines that were staples in Thomas and Taylor Dining.

There are now new additions such as North and South Specialty Stations and The Nook.

The North and South Specialty Stations feature “just in time” meals and topping bars.

The Nook features breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. with cereal, waffle makers, assortments of breads, fruits, and drinks.

The Lawson side traditional serving line of S.Q. Dining features made to order pizza and pastas. The Taylor side line features “rational favorites” such as chicken strips, wings, cheeseburgers, and fries.

The two specialty stations have featured new menu items like made to order stir fry, sweet and sour meatballs, avocado BLT, and many more items.

6. Men, women win conference XC title.

With the cross-country teams winning both the men’s and women’s titles, this win showed how talented these athletes are.

Fifth-year senior Adam Swanson won the Ohio Valley Conference Runner of the Year award, and Head Coach Erin Howarth won Coach of the Year.

This cross-country team also had multiple freshmen run in the title race, including Brenda Torres, Bella Marcum, Joseph Stoddard, and Sam Cruz.

Although this team lost a valuable member in Dustin Hatfield last year, this team overcame adversity and injuries to secure the fourth straight OVC Men’s Cross-Country championship and the second straight OVC Women’s Cross-Country championship.

Additional content regarding volleyball’s season and the coach’s success was taken out because it is mentioned on page 7. To see full version, visit our website online.

The Editorial Board can be reached at 5812812 or deneic@gmail.com

BY ELLEN DOOLEY | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

David Commanday directs a full orchestra for the Messiah performance, telling the story of Jesus’ life and death Friday night.

President Biden, it’s time to pick a side

By John Wills Columnist

President Biden tackled the 2020 election by playing as a centrist Democrat with common-sense policies. He actively rejected anyone calling him a progressive socialist.

At the same time, the looming specter of a second Trump presidency pulled the more-progressive younger demographic along with the Biden camp; these unique conditions united the nation’s left flank and helped the President earn his place in the nation’s highest office.

As he approaches 2024, this strategy doesn’t seem to be working as well for him anymore. The young demographic is showing signs of hesitancy about President Biden and his policies.

Now, Biden has to decide whether to change course: should we continue as we are, or do we move to accommodate this large and increasingly progressive sector of Democratic voters?

In this case, the correct answer, from a campaign strategy perspective at least, is to satisfy the youth demographic.

If Biden doesn’t win back these voters, he will have a significantly harder time winning reelection.

A series of recent polls from a variety of publications including NBC News, Fox News, Quinnipiac, CBS News, and others, all show former President Donald Trump within a razor-thin trailing distance of President Biden in voters age 18 to 34.

In some of those polls, notably the one from NBC, Trump actually leads Biden among this group. In their poll, Trump has 46% of younger voter support, while 42% goes to President Biden.

Those who might be asking themselves “how could this happen?” are well within reason to do so. This is a remarkable change in a demographic that Biden won by over 20 points three years ago. So how exactly did Biden start to lose their support?

For years, young people are a demographic that Democrats have controlled handily. In the 2022 exit poll, statistical analysis from Tufts University researchers showed that in every demographic but one (rural youth), a majority of young people ages 18-29 voted for a Democratic candidate in the 2022 election.

Knowing this, many Democrats appear to have become complacent.

They assume that because the alternative is so bad, they’ve secured the young vote in its entirely. As a result, leading activists from youth-led organizations have been pushing back.

CNN reported earlier this year on the rise of young activists, including leaders of climate, anti-gun, and LGBTQ+ groups, who are becoming upset with Biden over policy decisions made by his administration.

The decision to green light an Alaskan drilling project, for example, angered some young voters who are concerned about the climate.

Others have concerns about the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas – an open letter was penned a few weeks ago from a coalition of young Democratic leaders warning that Biden’s handling of the conflict could result in lower youth turnout in 2024.

Regardless of how any individual might feel about one issue or another, a few very basic facts are becoming more apparent.

First, President Biden (and the Democratic Party at large) need the support of young voters to win the 2024 presidential election.

Second, young voters, especially those with or currently obtaining a college education, hold beliefs that align with the more progressive side of the political spectrum. Lastly, President Biden’s policy decisions are not entirely appeasing that group.

Biden made his own reputation and image in 2020 as a political centrist, something which helped him win over swing voters at the time, according to reports from Axios.

Biden’s messaging plan so far seems to be convincing people that he’s a centrist Democrat who won’t bend to the progressive agenda, while also appeasing his younger, left-wing voter base with some more progressive policy decisions in the background.

Now that this strategy is starting to fail the president in his efforts to win over young voters, he is in a situation where he must decide which arm to cut off.

At this point, the entire dilemma becomes a numbers game–who will get Biden more votes? The answer is almost definitely young people.

Voting-age members of Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, increase as a population every single year, and will continue to do so until every member of the generation is 18 years old in 2030.

Older generations, however – like the Baby Boomers, who according to Pew Research are more likely to vote for a Republican than younger generations like the Millennials – are all already part of the voter base.

Not only are they many in size, but they’re also regularly breaking turnout records. Data from researchers at Tufts University shows that Generation Z voted

at a higher rate in the 2022 midterms than Millennials or Generation X did when they were the same age. Generation Z is the first one alive today to show such interest in politics at such a young age. A report from those same researchers also concluded that an estimated 50% of youth ages 18-29 voted in the 2020 election, a sign that this group is one which can be motivated when given proper reason to be.

In other words, a group that already has significant sway is only going to get larger, making it the most formidable demographic in the entire electorate. If you want someone on your side when you’re trying to win a presidential election, it’s going to be this group.

These considerations are ripe for any other Democratic politician who might hope to succeed the 2024 winner in the next election, as well.

Biden only has one more campaign to run, both due to the United States Constitution and his own age –but Democrats will presumably continue to run candidates in presidential elections for the foreseeable future.

And when they do, they’ll want to remember this growing force in American politics. Voters of the world’s newest generations have shown that they have the force necessary to swing the outcome of an election in one direction or another.

Their support is critical for any candidate who hopes to make a splash on the national scale.

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or zhflippin@eiu.edu.

COMIC BY HARPER HANCOCK | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

BY ELLEN DOOLEY | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

‘Messiah’ ends semester performances at Doudna

By Chandler Smith Reporter | @DEN_News

Soothing and beautiful sounds came together for the last night of performances for the year, Sunday at 4 p.m. during the Messiah oratorio.

The historic piece by Handel told the story of the birth and life of Jesus Christ brought a soundful of music at Eastern’s Doudna Fine Arts Center.

“It’s a historic piece and it’s one of the most popular and beloved pieces of choral music and orchestral music in the whole world,” Assistant Professor - Director of Choral Activities Howard Eckdahl said.

Eckdahl realized the difficulty that the oratorio by Handel’s Messiah can be for students to learn and perfect.

“It is challenging, and the orchestra has some of the most glorious string writing that has ever been written,” Eckdahl said. “It is all with the great responsibility of playing something that everybody knows so, you must do it well.”

Being part of something in collaboration with other communities made it more worthwhile when they performed the Messiah oratorio.

“The best part of making it happen is collaborating with all the different people that come together to do the messi -

BY ELLEN DOOLEY | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

ferent in rehearsal with or without the community members.

“The best part of being part of this, I think, was like the result, because obviously, there is how it sounds in rehearsal. Then there is how it sounds in rehearsal with like the whole group because there is the high schoolers and the community members and then there is how it sounds with the whole choir and the orchestra and that is cool,” Biological Sciences major Maddy Colby said.

Students involved in the Messiah think it is a wonderful experience for them to come out and enjoy.

“It is a unique concert experience, like it is different than any choir concert that I have been in here at Eastern and any choir concert that I have been to, in general,” Colby said. “It is a cool experience, whether you are religious or not. Just the live music and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing.”

ah,” Eckdahl said. “So, we had faculty members on stage, we had student musicians from Eastern Illinois University, we had community members in the choir and in the orchestra and we had high school students in the choir as well.”

Working together to bring the two nights of Messiah made all the difference and brought a huge crowd.

“So, we had this whole group of people from the university, the high school and from the broader communities that work together for this, it is really the greatest part of the collaboration and coming together and doing all this glorious music and presenting it to all these people and bringing two great crowds,” Eckdahl said.

The best part was that it sounded dif-

“I think I can speak for everyone [when] I say that we have had a great privilege to perform this piece for the Eastern Illinois University [and] Charleston community, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity,” Eckdahl said.

Chandler Smith can be reached at 581-2812 or at cbsmith5@eiu.edu.

Ellen Okerstrom-Drew performs a solo in the Messiah concert.

David Commanday directs a full orchestra for the Messiah performance, telling the story of Jesus’ life and death Friday night.

Panthers of the semester

VOLLEYBALL COACH

By Sports Staff @DEN_News

The coach of the semester is going to Sara Thomas from the volleyball team.

As the 13th Head Coach for the Panthers, Thomas went from a 16-16 overall record in 2022 to a 28-5 overall record in 2023.

Thomas coached the Panthers to record 15 3-0 wins this season.

Thomas coached the Panthers to win the OVC regular season title and the OVC Tournament. With the tournament win, the Panthers clinched a spot in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.

The last time the Panthers were selected for the NCAA Tournament was in 2001.

Along with Larregui López and Rochaix, Thomas coached two other AllOVC First Team players: senior libero/ defensive specialist Christina Martinez Mundo and graduate right side hitter Natalie Mitchem.

Thomas was also named OVC Coach of the Year at the end of the 2023 regular season.

Sara Thomas

FOOTBALL PLAYER VOLLEYBALL PLAYER

MJ Flowers Giovana Larrequi López

The male Panther of the semester is going to MJ Flowers from the football team.

The redshirt freshman running back from Cincinnati, OH rushed for 854 yards and had 1,046 all-purpose yards.

Both are the most in a season since 2016 when Devin Church ran for 1,066 yards and had 1,526 all-purpose yards.

Flowers’ 854 rushing yards are second among Football Champion Subdivision freshman running backs.

Flowers also recorded four rushing touchdowns in a game against Tennessee State this season.

The last time a Panther had four rushing touchdowns in a game was J.R Taylor against Florida Atlantic University in 2002.

Flowers earned Big South-OVC Offensive Freshman of the Year and firstteam All-Big South-OVC.

Flowers is also an FCS Freshman All-American and a finalist for the Jerry Rice FCS Freshman of the Year Award.

The senior outside hitter from Carolina, Puerto Rico was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

Larregui López ended the 2023 season with 468 kills, 67 services aces, 37 blocks and 319 digs. Larregui López also finished the 28-5 season with a total of 556.5 points.

Here are Larregui López’s 2023 season highs:

• Kills: 26 (Oct. 21 at Tennessee Tech)

• Assists: 3 (Sept. 9 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale)

• Points: 29.5 (Sept. 18 vs Southern Indiana)

• Aces: 7 (Sept. 2 at Indiana University — Purdue University Indianapolis)

• Digs: 22 (Oct. 28 vs Southeast Missouri State)

Larregui López was also named as an All-OVC First Team player.

Athletes of the Issue

JORDAN BOOKER

The senior guard from Chicago scored 20 points against the number one ranked Kansas Jayhawks on Tuesday evening at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawerence, KS.

In Saturday’s 112-50 win over the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis Eutectics, Booker recorded 11 points, six assists and four rebounds.

The libero/defensive specialist from San Juan, Puerto Rico recorded 17 digs in the Panthers’ 3-0 loss to the

in the

Marquette Golden Eagles

first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament in Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, IN.

Before the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, Martinez Mundo was named an All-OVC First Team player.

CHRISTINA MARTINEZ MUNDO

FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Head Coach Sara Thomas was able to improve Eastern volleyball from 16-16 the previous season to 28-5 in the 2023 season.

The female Panther of the semester is going to Giovana Larregui López from the volleyball team.

EIU eliminated from NCAA volleyball tournament

By Zaria Flippin Sports Editor | @zariaflippppin

The Golden Eagles went on a 10-2 run to close out the third and final set of the match to knock off the Panthers in their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 22 years on Thursday evening in Lafayette, IN.

Eastern struggled to gain momentum throughout the entire game as the Panthers’ longest run was 4-0 in the first set compared to the Golden Eagles’ 6-0 run at the end of the third set.

Playing against the program that gave Marquette’s Head Coach Ryan Theis his first coaching job back in 2000, Theis said he was happy to see the Panthers make it into the NCAA Tournament.

To kick off the second set, Golden Eagle junior outside hitter Jenna Reitsma recorded two back-to-back service aces to give the Golden Eagles a fast 2-0 lead.

Eastern kept the margin relatively close until Marquette went on a 5-0 run to take a 12-7 lead.

To stop Eastern from recording long runs, Golden Eagles’ Head Coach Ryan Theis credited Marquette’s game plan for passes and digs.

“I think our pass and dig game was really high quality,” Theis said.

The Panthers didn’t gain a lot of mo-

some players who have been with her since she started coaching at Eastern leave this year.

mentum throughout the second set as the Golden Eagles went on a 13-8 run to close out the second set.

Junior libero/defensive specialist Laura Paniagua recorded a service error which gave the Golden Eagles the 25-16 win in the second set.

The Panthers recorded only two blocks throughout the three sets compared to the

11 the Golden Eagles recorded.

Panthers’ sophomore setter Catalina Rochaix recorded two blocks, one lone block and the other with sophomore middle blocker Kate Dean.

Golden Eagles’ junior middle blocker Carsen Murray led Marquette with nine blocks.

Senior outside hitter Giovana Larregui

López led the Panthers with 10 kills followed by junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Flynn with seven and graduate outside hitter Natalie Mitchem with five.

Senior middle blocker Emily Wilcox and Rochaix each had one service ace during the game.

Senior libero/defensive specialist Christina Martinez Mundo led the team with 17 digs.

“I feel happy that we made it this far,” Martinez Mundo said. “We didn’t want to be that team anymore, that didn’t represent the way EIU should be represented. This year, we took the opportunity to give it our all and it paid off. I couldn’t be more than happy to be here and be part of the first round of the NCAA Tournament.”

The last time the Panthers got swept was against the Lindenwood Lions on Nov. 11, 2022.

With this loss, the Panthers ended their season 28-5, winning the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship and the OVC Tournament Championship.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the grind and the dedication that all of our girls put in,” Panthers’ Head Coach Sara Thomas said. “They really set the standard for the future years.”

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 5812812 or zhflippin@eiu.edu.

BY ROB LE CATES | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS Thomas speaks to each of her senior’s impact on her and the team for this season during press conference for their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2001. Thomas said she will sad to see

BY ROB LE CATES | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Head Volleyball Coach Sara Thomas huddles with the team during the third and last set of the Panther’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2001. The Panther’s season score ends at 28-5.