RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior Amanda Wilson recorded 20 kills and four blocks to lead the Eastern Kentucky volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Samford University today at McBrayer Arena. Four Colonels (2-17, 1-8 OVC) finished with double-digit kill totals and the Bulldogs (8-9, 3-5 OVC) committed 16 service errors in the loss.

Game scores were 30-24, 22-30, 30-27 and 30-28.

“It fills amazing to get the win,” said Wilson. “Coming together and finishing were the biggest things we did today. This really raised our confidence. To see our freshmen with this confidence is huge.”

Wilson hit .319 and had four blocks to go along with her match-high 20 kills. Freshman Amanda Fago finished with 14 kills. Bridget Mustard and freshman Leah Nelson totaled 12 and 10 kills respectively. Freshman Kate Hendle had a match-high 47 assist and senior Brittany Nobilio led all players with 26 digs.

Sheriden Stangohr hit .286 and led Samford with 16 kills. Angela Dempski finished with 15 kills and seven blocks. Sara Sears added 10 kills. The Bulldogs out-hit Eastern Kentucky .158 to .139 but the Colonels committed just five service errors compared to Samford’s 16.

“I felt since the beginning of OVC play that we are a much better team than our record shows,” said EKU Head Coach Lori Duncan. “We’re just not consistently confident. That changed today. They stayed the course and played through the whistle. I think this is monumental. A win is a big deal for this team right now.”

Neither team led by more than two points in the first game until the Colonels used a 6-1 run to put some distance between the teams, 18-14. EKU maintained a three to five point lead the rest of the way and took a 1-0 lead when Dempski committed an attack error to end the game, 30-24.

Samford never trailed in the second game. A kill by Stangohr gave the Bulldogs a 5-1 lead. An Eastern attack error made it 11-4 in favor of the visitors. A Dempski kill made it a seven point advantage, 16-9. Another kill by Dempski extended the lead to nine at 25-16. Kirstein Sosnowski gave Samford a 30-22 game two win with a kill.

Neither team led by more than two points in game three until a Bulldog service error and a kill by Wilson gave the Colonels game-point, 29-26. Another kill by Wilson finished off the game, 30-27, and gave EKU a 2-1 lead.

A pair of Eastern kills and an attack error by Samford early in game four allowed the Colonels to move in front 6-2. The Bulldogs came back and tied it at 14-14 with a kill by Sears and took a one-point lead on the next play after an EKU attack error. Eastern Kentucky answered by winning seven of the next eight points and had a 21-16 lead.

Samford fought back and tied it again at 27-27 but the Colonels didn’t fold. A kill by Nelson followed by a Bulldog attack error brought Eastern to match point, 29-27. Nelson’s kill two points later gave EKU the match win.

The Colonels will be back in action on Friday when they travel to face Tennessee-Martin. The match in Martin, Tenn., is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.