Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior Amanda Fago came off the bench to spark Eastern Kentucky to a 3-2 comeback victory over Tennessee-Martin on Friday at McBrayer Arena. The Colonels fell behind 2-0 and then won three straight to capture the match.

Fago didn’t start the match but started each of the final four sets. She had nine kills, a .500 attack percentage and four total blocks combined in the final three sets. She finished with 10 kills, a team-best .269 attack percentage and a team-high six blocks, including three solo blocks.

Freshman Ashley Edmond and senior Lauren Snyder each finished with 18 kills for Eastern Kentucky (5-11, 4-3 OVC). Edmond added three total blocks and Snyder contributed 13 digs. Senior #Abby O’Connor# led all players with 34 digs.

Lauren Montague led the Skyhawks (3-16, 1-6 OVC) with a match-high 19 kills and also had 16 digs. Kelly Hogan contributed 13 kills.

EKU totaled 66 kills and 32 errors for a .159 attack percentage. UT Martin had 59 kills, 34 errors and hit .123 for the match. The Colonels held a 16-8 advantage in blocks and a 6-3 edge in service aces.

The first set was tied 20-20 when the Skyhawks took advantage of a pair of Eastern errors to build a two-point cushion. A kill by Montague gave the visitors set-point at 24-21. Moments later a kill by Britany Wilburn ended the first set, 25-22, and gave UTM a 1-0 advantage.

An attack error by Montague late in the second set gave the Colonels set-point and a chance to tie the match but Eastern couldn’t finish it off. Tennessee-Martin scored four straight points to turn a 24-22 deficit into a 26-24 second set victory and a 2-0 lead in the match. A kill by Hogan and an ace from Montague finished off the set.

Eastern Kentucky scored first and never trailed in the third set. A kill by Fago and back-to-back UTM attack errors put the Colonels in front 11-6. A kill by Snyder kept the margin at five, 17-12. Another kill by Snyder and an ace from Edmond ended the set 25-18 and kept EKU alive. Fago had three kills and two blocks in the third set.

Four straight attack errors in the fourth set turned a 15-14 UT Martin lead into an 18-15 EKU lead and the Colonels never trailed again in the set. Consecutive errors by the Skyhawks brought Eastern to set point at 24-19. UTM scored the next two points, but a kill by Edmond finished off the set, 25-21, and tied the match 2-2.

A 4-1 run, including two kills by Fago, midway through the fifth set broke a tie game and put Eastern Kentucky in front 12-9. A kill by Harms gave the Colonels match-point, 14-11, but the Skyhawks didn’t go away easy. Three straight UTM points, including kills by Montague and Wilburn, tied the score at 14-14. EKU had match-point twice more before a kill by Snyder won the set 17-15 and completed the Eastern Kentucky comeback.

The Colonels will conclude a three-match home stand on Saturday against Murray State. The action will begin at 2 p.m. at McBrayer Arena.