BOX SCORE

RICHMOND, Ky. – Three Colonels poured in double-digit kills to help the Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Belmont University Friday night at McBrayer Arena.
 
EKU won by scores of 18-25, 25-22, 23-25 and 20-25.
 
After dropping the second set Eastern Kentucky came out of the break and found itself in a 14-12 hole. A Bruin service error and kill from freshman Lauren Kolenik knotted the teams at 16 all. The squads went point-for-point down the back-end of the stanza but an EKU attack error and kill from Belmont's Arianna Person again put the Bruins at a two-point advantage, 20-18. Senior Celina Sanks came up with a putaway to lead the Colonels to four unanswered points to switch the lead in favor of Eastern, 22-20. Belmont made three more attempts to regain control of the set but a duo of kills from Nikki Drost closed the set, 25-23, and gave EKU a one-set advantage, 2-1.
 
Eastern opened the final frame with a kill from Sanks and a service ace from libero Chloe Rojas to take an early 2-0 lead and never looked back. BU got on the board with a kill from Emma Price, but Cassie Knutson responded with a kill and service ace to grow the Colonel lead, 4-1. EKU maintained the lead through the duration of the set, but putaways from Drost and Sanks and an error from the Bruins allowed Eastern to take the largest lead of the set, 23-17. Eastern Kentucky errors and a kill from Belmont's Brie Lewis let the Bruins draw within four, 24-20, but a service error stifled the attempt and ended the match, 25-20.
 
Knutson racked up her third triple-double of the season with 10 kills, 19 assists and 10 digs while Sanks contributed her 10^th double-double of the season, leading the Colonels with 14 kills and 12 digs. Drost added 10 kills.

"It was a great night defending our court coupled with welcoming Nikki back into the fold," Head Coach Lori Duncan stated. "We are continuing to get better every time we compete." 
 
Belmont's Person notched 18 kills, Lewis racked up six blocks and Price came up with 43 assists for match-highs.
 
Maria Ferragonio led EKU with 20 assists paired with a career-high 14 digs for her second career double-double.
 
Rojas paced all players in digs with 19 and Kaylin Johnson chipped in five blocks for the match.
 
After the victory EKU improves to 10-15 (8-3 Ohio Valley Conference) and Belmont drops to 11-12 (6-5 OVC).
 
The Colonels will be back in action at 2 p.m. tomorrow against Tennessee State University for Senior Day.