Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky rebounded from a first set loss to tie the match at 1-1 but Tennessee Tech won two straight sets to claim a 3-1 Ohio Valley Conference victory Friday at McBrayer Arena. Kappy Lang’s serve at match-point in the fourth set fell right inside the left line to give the Golden Eagles the win.

The Colonels (2-13, 1-5 OVC) climbed to within one point of sending the match to a decisive fifth set on an attack error by Leah Meffert that gave EKU a 24-22 edge in the fourth set. TTU (8-8, 5-1 OVC) tied the set, 24-24, on back-to-back kills by Jessica Asplund and Meffert. After an Eastern timeout, another kill by Meffert gave the visitors match-point, 25-24, and set up Lang’s match-winning service ace.

Game scores were 25-17, 20-25, 25-17 and 26-24.

Meffert led Tennessee Tech with 17 kills and added 12 digs. Caitlin Bullock added 16 kills with a .300 attack percentage. Lang finished with a match-high 50 assists, 17 digs and two aces. Katie Kenline contributed a match-high 27 digs.

Junior Lindsey Loescher posted a team-best 16 kills for Eastern. She also had nine digs and four aces. Senior Amanda Wilson chipped in with 14 kills, a .303 attack percentage and three blocks.

In the first set, Loescher gave the Colonels an early 5-2 lead with her first ace of the match. A kill by Tech’s Bullock tied it up at 6-6. The Golden Eagles went in front 12-9 on a kill by Meffert. Teresa Craig’s ace made it a four-point TTU advantage, 16-12. Tennessee Tech ended the first set with four straight kills, including two by Marie Peddicord, to win by a score of 25-17.

Eastern Kentucky scored the first three points of the second set and never trailed. An ace by Loescher gave the Colonels a five-point lead, 8-3. A TTU attack error made it 17-12 in favor of the home team. Another Loescher ace extended the advantage to six, 19-13. An attack error by the Golden Eagles gave EKU set-point at 24-19. Two plays later another Tech error gave the set to Eastern, 25-20, and tied the match at 1-1.

After Eastern Kentucky led for the entire second set, the third set saw the score tied nine times. A kill by Eastern’s Bridget Mustard put the Colonels on top 7-6. A kill by Lang pushed the Golden Eagles in front 9-8. EKU tied the score twice more, but a kill by Peddicord gave Tennessee Tech an 11-10 lead and the Golden Eagles kept the lead the rest of the set. Peddicord ended the third set, 25-17, with a kill and gave TTU a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth set, the Golden Eagles scored the first five points and looked as if they would cruise to victory. However, the Colonels battled back and tied the score 10-10 after a Tech attack error. Eastern went in front by three, 14-11, on a kill by Loescher. Mustard’s kill kept EKU out ahead by three, 18-15. Bullock tied the set at 21-21 with a kill of her own but the Colonels answered with two straight points, kills by Wilson and Jessica Meads, to make it 23-21. Meffert’s attack error gave Eastern set-point, but it would be the last point scored by the home team and set up Tennessee Tech’s 4-0 run to end the match.

As a team, the Colonels hit .179 for the match. The Golden Eagles posted a .247 attack percentage.

The Colonels will continue their four-game home stand on Saturday when they host Jacksonville State at 2 p.m.