Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky overcame a five-point deficit late in the third set to complete a 3-0 win over Tennessee-Martin on Saturday at McBrayer Arena. The Colonels (4-13, 4-4) won for the fourth time in their last five matches to even their conference record.

Set scores were 25-16, 25-21 and 26-24.

A kill by Lauren Montague and an EKU attack error put the Skyhawks (7-11, 2-7 OVC) on top 18-13 in the third set. EKU scored five straight out of a time out to even up the score. Lauren Snyder’s consecutive kills tied it at 18-18.

“Coach Duncan lit a fire under us in that time out,” said junior #Abby O’Connor#. “Once we came back, we had all the confidence in the world that we could win the game.”

An ace by Snyder stretched the Eastern run to 8-1, and gave the home team a two-point lead at 21-19. A kill by Montague and an EKU attack error tied the score at 22-22, and Montague tied the score at 23-23 moments later with another kill. A kill Autumn Harms gave the Colonels match-point, but Montague answered again for UTM to tie the score at 24-24.

A kill by Snyder gave Eastern match-point for a second time, 25-24, before the senior finished off the Skyhawks with the match-winner.

“It took a team effort to come back that late in a set,” said O’Connor. “One individual couldn’t have done it by themselves.”

O’Connor posted 17 digs, finishing one short of cracking EKU’s career top-10 list for digs. Snyder finished with a match-high 20 kills and nine digs. Lindsey Loescher added 10 kills and seven digs. Hannah Groudle contributed seven kills and three blocks.

Montague led UT Martin with 15 kills. She made only two errors and posted a .433 attack percentage.

Eastern held a 49-33 advantage in kills and hit .234 compared to .190 for the Skyhawks.

The Colonels used a pair of 6-1 runs to take control in the first set. The first run gave EKU a 14-9 cushion. The second turned a three-point lead into an eight-point margin, 21-13. Loescher’s kill gave Eastern a 25-16 first set win and a 1-0 lead.

EKU scored seven of the first 10 points in the second set. An ace by Kelsey Rose put the home squad in front 7-3. UT Martin closed the gap to one on three occasions but after a kill by Loescher made it an 18-15 lead, the Skyhawks never got any closer than three points. A UTM attack error ended the set, 25-21, and gave Eastern Kentucky a 2-0 lead.

The Colonels will hit the road for their next three matches, beginning with a trip to face Tennessee Tech on Friday. EKU and the Golden Eagles will play at 8 p.m. ET.