Box Score vs. Northeastern
Box Score vs. Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – Eastern Kentucky's volleyball team opened its 2014 season by splitting a pair of matches on the first day of the Radisson UCF Invitational in Orlando, Florida.  The Colonels (1-1) beat Northeastern University (0-1) 3-2 before falling to host Central Florida (1-0) by a score of 3-0.
 
EKU beat Northeastern by scores of 24-26, 25-19, 25-22, 22-25 and 15-11.  UCF won by scores of 25-14, 25-15 and 25-20.
 
The Colonels opened their season by beating Northeastern 3-2.  Sophomore #Johanna Boyer# led all players with 20 kills.  #Alexis Plagens# finished with 14 kills and #Abbey Cvelbar# had 12.  #Rachel Vick# and freshman #Celina Sanks# recorded 10 kills each.
 
Boyer made just five errors in 52 attempts for a .288 attack percentage.  Cvelbar had a .435 attack percentage and a match-high 49 assists.  #Dena Ott# contributed 22 digs and freshman #Ciera Koons# led the team with five total blocks.
 
In the first set, Northeastern jumped out to an 11-4 lead and was in front 17-9 before the Colonels went on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to two.  Eastern tied the score five times, but was never able to grab the lead.  Alexa Armstrong's kill gave Northeastern a 26-24 first set win and a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
After never leading in the first set, EKU never trailed in the second.  The Colonels led 16-8 after an ace by Sanks and a NU error.  Boyer's kill finished off the set, 25-19, and tied the match 1-1.  In the third set, Northeastern led by five, 14-9, before a 6-1 Eastern run tied the score 15-15.  The set would be tied six more times.  A kill by NU's Jamie Bredahl knotted the score for the last time, 22-22.  Eastern Kentucky scored the final three points, including a kill from Plagens, to win the set 25-22 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Northeastern won the fourth set 25-22 to force a decisive fifth set.  NU scored the first point in the fifth, but the Colonels scored the next four to take control.  Cvelbar's kill made it 11-8 in favor of EKU.  A kill by Plagens gave her team a late 4-point advantage, 14-10.  A bad set by Bredahl ended the set and the match.
 
Caterina Rosander led Northeastern with 17 kills and a .556 attack percentage.
 
Eastern Kentucky committed one fewer error despite recording 11 more attacks than Northeastern.  The Colonels were out-blocked 11-6, but served up five more aces (7-2).
 
Vick led EKU with 11 kills against Central Florida.  She made only two errors in 21 attacks for a .429 hitting percentage.  However, as a team Eastern posted a .167 attack percentage, compared to .374 for UCF.  Jale Hervey had a match-best 17 kills for the Knights.
 
EKU will close out play at the Radisson UCF Invitational on Saturday with a match against Florida International at 11 a.m. and another against Western Carolina at 5 p.m.