Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky beat Western Carolina, 3-1, on the final day of the Colonel Challenge at McBrayer Arena on Saturday.
 
In the other Colonel Challenge match on Saturday, New Mexico State defeated Western Illinois 3-0.
 
The Colonel Challenge All-Tournament Team consisted of New Mexico State's Shaney Lipscomb (MVP), Katie Birtcil and Darian Markham; Kennedy Davis from Western Illinois; Western Carolina's Merry Gebel and Eastern Kentucky's Molly Michalak.
 
The Catamounts won the first set 25-20 and led by three, 10-7, early in the second set.  However, the Colonels went on a 10-4 run to snatch the lead.  Back-to-back WCU attack errors tied it at 12-12 and then put EKU in front 13-12.  Sarah Mitchell's kill capped the run and turned a 3-point deficit into a 3-point lead, 17-14.  Mitchell's kill later in the set brought Eastern Kentucky to set-point, 24-22.  Two plays later she finished it off with another kill, 25-23, and tied the set.
 
Western Carolina scored the first point of the third set, but EKU scored the next three and never trailed again.  A kill from Michalak followed by a Catamount error capped an 8-3 start.  The Colonels cruised to a 25-20 win to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Eastern Kentucky never trailed in the third set.  Mitchell's kill capped a 4-1 start.  A kill from Mikayla Logan and an error by WCU pushed the lead to six, 13-7.  Mitchell's service ace put EKU in front by six again, 20-14.  From there the Colonels finished it off with a 5-2 run, 25-16.
 
Michalak had a match-best 16 kills with a .263 attack percentage and 10 digs.  Mitchell finished with 15 kills, made only four errors and hit .324.  Sydney Schoen had a match-high 22 digs.
 
EKU (2-7) out-hit Western Carolina (3-5) .238 to .182.  The Colonels combined for nine aces and had 10 more digs than the visitors.
 
Gebel posted a team-high 14 kills and hit .270 for the Catamounts.
 
EKU will return to action on Wednesday with a mid-week match at Butler.  First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.