Box 1 | Box 2

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team swept a pair of contests against Dartmouth College and North Carolina A&T on Saturday at the UNC Asheville Invitational.  
 
The Colonels won the first match 25-22, 26-24 and 25-22, before winning the second match 25-17, 25-21 and 25-19
 
Against Dartmouth, sophomore Jovana Bulatovic posted seven kills and a match-high 19 digs. Senior Katelynn Caserma-Kloeble went for seven kills, three solo blocks and four block assists. Kaylin Johnson went for eight kills, five digs and four blocks.
 
Set one, was a game of runs. Eastern started the set on a 5-0 run after an attack error by Dartmouth to take an early lead. Dartmouth wasted no time answering right back with a 6-0 run of its own to take a 6-5 lead after the kill by Elise Petit. EKU answered right back with four of the next five points punctuated by a kill from Jovana Bulatovic to take a 9-7 lead. With the Colonels leading 11-9, the Big Green scored four straight points after an EKU error to take a 13-11 lead. The two teams traded points for much of the set after that before Eastern scored the last three points after a Bulatovic kill to win the opening set 25-22.  
 
Eastern got off to a quick start in set two, jumping out to a 6-2 lead after an ace by Bulatovic. Dartmouth scored seven straight points to take a 9-6 lead after an EKU attack error. After falling behind in set two 20-14, Eastern made its run. The Colonels scored six of the next seven points after a kill by freshman Abby Noll to cut into the lead 21-20. Dartmouth responded with two points to take a 23-20 lead, but Eastern scored the next four to take a 24-23 lead. After Dartmouth tied the game at 24-24, Eastern ended the set by scoring the last two points to take it 26-24.
 
In set three, Dartmouth used an early spark to take a 6-3 lead after a kill by Petit. Eastern answered back with a 4-0 run of its own to take a 7-6 lead early in the set. After a kill by Grace Wiczek, Dartmouth took a commanding 18-11 lead in the set. Once again, Eastern did not go down without a fight. The Colonels scored six straight points after back-to-back kills by Rachel Woody to cut the Dartmouth lead to 18-17. With Dartmouth leading 21-19 late in the set, Eastern scored four straight points after an attack error to give them the 23-21 lead. EKU ended the match after back-to-back kills from Noll to complete the sweep 25-22.
 
Petit lead the Big Green offense with 10 kills and five digs. Wiczek chipped in eight kills of her own.
 
 
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In match two against North Carolina A&T, the Colonels brought out the brooms for the second time on the day winning in straight sets 25-17, 25-21 and 25-19.
Johnson posted a match-best 12 kills and four blocks. Bulatovic posted nine kills and nine digs. Claire Hankinson chipped in five blocks of her own.
 
The Aggies got off to a good start, jumping out to a 4-1 lead after a couple EKU errors. That is when EKU flexed its muscles, scoring the next seven points of the match after a kill by Johnson to take an 8-4 lead and never looked back. North Carolina A&T got it within three points at 15-12, but Eastern scored four of the next five points after a kill by Caserma-Kloeble to take a 19-13 lead. Eastern finished off the first set after a kill by Noll to win 25-17.
 
Set two was a lot of back and forth to start, after a kill by Noll made it 7-7 early. After a kill and attack error by Eastern, the Aggies pushed its lead to the biggest of the set 15-12. Eastern got it going after that, scoring five of the next six points to take the 17-16 lead. Following a kill by Courteney Pitt that tied the game at 19-19. EKU scored four of the next five points to pull away and take a 23-20 lead. A kill by Johnson and an attack error by the Aggies ended the second set and put the Colonels up 2-0 on the match.
 
Set three started off much like set one and the Aggies jumped out to an early 6-3 lead after an EKU error. A kill by Tasmyn Fahey put the Aggies up 10-8, but Eastern ran six of the next seven points to take a 14-11 lead and never give it up again. A&T cut the lead to one after a kill by Andrea Laboy-Rivera, but EKU went on a 4-1 run to take an 18-14 lead and not look back. Johnson punctuated the match with her match-high 12th kill to complete the sweep.
 
Pitt lead the offense for the Aggies posted a team-best nine kills.
 
Eastern returns to the court Tuesday against rival Western Kentucky in Bowling Green. First serve is at 7 p.m.