Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky saw its six-match home court winning streak come to an end with a 3-1 loss to Austin Peay on Saturday at McBrayer Arena. Five members of the APSU team registered 10 or more kills and two finished with double-doubles.

Set scores were 25-22, 20-25, 25-9 and 25-18.

Jessica Mollman led the Lady Govs (19-6, 12-2 OVC) with a match-best 13 kills. Kirstin Distler finished with 12 kills and 15 digs. Stephanie Champine and Taylor Skinner each recorded 11 kills. Champine added 13 digs and two block assists. Ilyanna Hernandez contributed 10 kills.

Sophomore Amanda Fago led the Colonels (6-17, 5-8 OVC) with 10 kills. She made only two errors in 26 total attacks for a .308 attack percentage. Kate Hendle finished with 32 assists and eight digs. #Abby O’Connor# led all players with 22 digs.

Austin Peay totaled 58 kills and eight service aces. Eastern Kentucky had only 39 kills.

The first set saw 12 ties and eight lead changes. Lindsey Loescher tied the score, 22-22, for the final time with an ace for EKU. The Lady Govs scored the next three points to finish off the set. A kill by Skinner and an ace by Sarah Alisaleh, sandwiched around an Eastern attack error, put APSU in front 1-0.

An 8-0 run midway through the second set gave control to the Colonels. Autumn Harms recorded two kills and three others had one each during the run. A Lady Gov attack error capped the run and put EKU in front 17-9. Austin Peay closed the gap to two, but wouldn’t get any closer. A kill by Hannah Groudle gave Eastern Kentucky a 25-20 second set victory and tied the match 1-1.

Austin Peay scored the first four points of the third set and never looked back. An ace by Champine made it 11-3. An ace by Distler stretched the lead to 14-6. Back-to-back aces by Kayla Grantham and a kill by Mollman had the Lady Govs on top 20-8. Champine’s kill ended the set, 25-9, and gave the visitors a 2-1 lead.

The fourth set remained close until the end. A kill by Groudle made it a one-point game in favor of APSU, 16-15. However, the Lady Govs went on an 8-2 run to build a 24-17 lead. Mollman’s kill two plays later ended the set, 25-18, and the match.

The Colonels wore pink socks and hair ribbons for the past two matches in support of breast cancer awareness. For every home court victory in the month of October the EKU volleyball program will donate $100 to the Susan B. Komen Foundation to help find a cure for breast cancer. The Colonels finished with six wins at home this month. The team will be donating in the name of former EKU volleyball head coach Geri Polvino, former Colonel Cindy Thomsen and former EKU athletics employee Kay Patrick.

Eastern Kentucky will play its next three matches on the road, beginning Friday at Eastern Illinois. The Colonels and the Panthers are scheduled to begin play at 8 p.m. ET.