CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - With double-figure kills from two players, the Eastern Kentucky volleyball team opened play at the Chattanooga Holiday Inn Express Challenge with a 3-0 victory (30-17, 30-19, 30-18) over Birmingham Southern. The Colonels improve to 3-4 with the win while the Panthers remain in search of their first victory of the season with a 0-6 mark.

Senior Jessica Sabath led Eastern with 13 kills and sophomore Bridget Mustard posted double-figures in the kill column for the second straight game with 11. In addition, Mustard paced the team with four blocks while junior Brittany Nobilio recorded her first 20+ dig game of the year with 21.

The Colonels ended the first game with an attack percentage of .412 and won the match with .500 attack percentage in game three.

Eastern jumped to an 11-4 lead to open the match, highlighted by six straight Colonel kills, including three from Mustard. As Nobilio served four straight points, the Colonels took a 10-point lead (21-11) with a Sabath kill before earning the 30-17 win off a service error from the Panthers.

In the second game, Eastern went ahead quickly but Birmingham Southern pulled in front at 13-12 from a Colonel attack error. The Panthers' lead was short-lived however as EKU regained the advantage two plays later and stayed in front for the duration of the contest in the 11-point victory.

Birmingham Southern recorded the first two points in the third contest but the Colonels responded with six unanswered to grab a lead they would not relinquish. Eastern ended the game with a 12-3 scoring run, in which freshman Abbey Blank served seven consecutive Colonel points.

Sarah Harris led the Panthers, who struggled offensively with a .091 attack percentage, with 10 kills.

Eastern Kentucky resumes plays tomorrow, facing Lamar at 10 a.m. and host Chattanooga at 5:30 p.m.