RICHMOND, Ky. – After a sluggish opening set, the Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team rallied for a convincing 3-1 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin on Saturday at McBrayer Arena.
The Colonels won by scores of 19-25, 25-11, 25-14, and 25-11.
UT Martin took the first set to open the match but would never lead again. The Colonels ignited on their way to wins in the following sets. EKU’s 14-point victories in the second and final stanzas were the largest single-set conference win of the season for the Colonels and tied a season-high set against Canisius College on Sept. 10.
Juniors Nikki Drost and Celina Sanks combined for 30 kills to lead the EKU offense. Eastern libero Mallory Maxwell racked up a match-high 22 digs in the win.
EKU hit .387 on the day, while holding UT Martin to a mere .072—marking a season low for an EKU opponent. The Colonel defense was equally efficient, tying a season-high with 14 blocks.
Eastern Kentucky opened an 11-2 lead in the second frame, setting the tone for the remainder of the match. The Colonels retained the lead in convincing fashion to complete the weekend Ohio Valley Conference sweep.
Madison Wessling paced the Skyhawk offense with 10 kills as Jemima Idemudia chipped in nine kills for UT Martin.
The Colonels return to McBrayer Arena on Friday for the first of their final two home matches of the season. Friday’s match against Jacksonville State University is scheduled for 7 p.m. and Saturday’s match against Tennessee Tech University is slated for a 2 p.m. first serve.