Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky lost 3-0 to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Friday at McBrayer Arena. The Cougars (6-8) swept the match by scores of 25-16, 25-23 and 25-19.

Junior Lindsey Loescher finished with a team-best 12 kills and three aces for Eastern Kentucky (3-15). Sophomore setter Kate Hendle had 25 assists, 11 digs, three kills and a block assist. Sophomore Abby O'Connor totaled 13 digs.

Sydney Winslow led SIUE with 15 kills and a .500 attack percentage. Three others had seven or more kills. Mallory Clements contributed a match-high 36 assists and was one of three Cougars to finish with 12 digs.

SIU Edwardsville never trailed in the opening set. One of five aces by Winslow in the match gave the Cougars a 10-4 lead. A kill by Winslow followed by an EKU attack error extended the lead to 18-10. Kelsey Hubert finished off the set, 25-16, with a kill.

A kill by Loescher gave the Colonels a 7-6 lead in the second set. A kill by Winslow made it a 14-12 score in favor of SIUE. An ace from Hubert pushed the visitor’s advantage to 20-15. After another kill from Winslow brought the Cougars to set-point, 24-19, Eastern Kentucky rolled off four straight, including back-to-back aces by Loescher, to cut the deficit to 24-23. However, Hubert followed with another set-ending kill and SIU Edwardsville went to the break up 2-0.

After an EKU attack error tied the score at 7-7 in the third set, the Cougars never trailed again. A kill by Mallory Clements gave SIUE a 10-9 advantage, and a lead it would never relinquish. A kill by Brittni Birkey made it 20-16 and an ace from Noelle Franke finished off the set and the match.

Eastern Kentucky finished with 14 errors and a .153 hitting percentage. SIU Edwardsville posted 48 kills and a .236 attack percentage.

The Colonels will head back out on the road for a pair of OVC matches next weekend. EKU plays at Austin Peay on Friday at 8 p.m. ET and at Tennessee State on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.