Knox Holds Off Red Devils, 3-1

EUREKA – The Eureka volleyball team fell short in a four-set battle with Knox on Tuesday evening at Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena and Convocation Center.

The Red Devils controlled the first set of the night and won 25-16, but the Prairie Fire came back and got the edge in the next three, winning by a combined five points. The final scores were 16-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-21.

Eureka's Payton Florine (Galesburg, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) recorded a team-high 12 kills to go with 11 digs and a team-high three aces in the loss.  

Halle Gauna (Arcola, Ill./Arcola/Lincoln Trail College) and Brittney Mekelburg (Johnstown, Ill./Roosevelt/St. Andrews University) followed with eight kills apiece, while Madison Richards (Princeton, Ill./Princeton) and Daizjah Shannon (East St. Louis, Ill./Cahokia/Lincoln) added six and five, respectively.

Setters Hope McGinnes (Mackinaw, Ill./Deer Creek-Mackinaw) and Sara Hart (Secor, Ill./Eureka) both recorded 14 assists.

Libero Jurnee Flournoy (Decatur, Ill./Decatur MacArthur) posted a team-high 21 digs, and Gauna had two solo blocks and three assists.

Knox's Alllie Dockins racked up a match-high 19 kills on 44 swings to lead the Prairie Fire to their first win of the 2023 season.

On Wednesday, Eureka (2-7, 1-3 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) will turn around and jump back into the league play with a 5:30 p.m. matchup at Greenville (8-7, 5-0 SLIAC). Heading into Wednesday, the Panthers are the only team in the league to hold an unbeaten conference record.