Box Score

RADFORD, Va. – Ashley Edmond's kill, followed by a Kennesaw State attack error, gave Eastern Kentucky's volleyball team a 3-2 win in its season opener on Friday at the La Quinta Inn and Suites Highlander Invitational hosted by Radford.

Set scores were 27-25, 23-25, 25-21, 23-25 and 16-14.

Edmond gave Eastern (1-0) match-point, 14-13, with a kill before the Owls (0-1) tied the set for the fourth time. Edmond's 17th and final kill of the match gave the Colonels a 15-14 lead. An attack error by KSU's Toure Hopkins ended it.

Edmond added 13 digs and two block assists to go with her team-best 17 kills. Freshman Johanna Boyer totaled 15 kills in her collegiate debut. Junior Alexis Plagens added 12 kills and two block assists.

Dena Ott led all players with 19 digs for Eastern Kentucky. Mallori Moffat (27 assists) and Abbey Cvelbar (23 assists) split the setting duties.

Kelly Marcinek had a match-best 23 kills for Kennesaw State.

KSU had 10 more kills and out-hit Eastern .271 to .186, but the Colonels finished with six more service aces, two more blocks and nine more digs.

The first set went to "overtime" before an ace by Ally Peters, and a block by Plagens and Tori Anderson staked EKU to a 1-0 lead. Eastern pulled away late in the third set to take a 2-1 lead. The Colonels led by just one point, 20-19, before scoring five of the next seven to take the set.

The fourth set was tied 23-23 before the Owls scored two straight to send the match to a decisive fifth set.

Eastern will play a pair of matches in the Highlander Invitational on Saturday. The Colonels will face Radford at 10:30 a.m. before playing North Carolina A&T at 3:30 p.m. EKU plays its first home match on Monday at 2 p.m.