Box Score vs. Southern Miss  |  Box Score vs. Chattanooga

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Eastern Kentucky split a pair of matches on the first day of the Southern Miss Classic II on Friday, falling to host Southern Miss, 3-0, and beating Chattanooga, 3-2.
 
In the second match against Chattanooga, the Colonels (3-9) won the first set 25-23 before losing the second 25-22.  EKU edged ahead 2-1 after winning the third set 25-17.  The Mocs tied it up by winning the fourth set 25-23.
 
With the decisive fifth set tied 7-7, Sarah Mitchell came up with a block to start a 6-2 run that allowed Eastern Kentucky to build a four-point cushion.  Mitchell accounted for four of the six points during the run, including a kill that capped it and put her team in front 13-9.
 
With match-point at 14-11, Molly Michalak secured the win with a kill.
 
Mitchell finished with a career-high 24 kills on a .400 attack percentage, 11 digs and three blocks.  Michalak added 18 kills.  Anna Purichia contributed 10 kills and 17 digs.  Taylor Grinley had 46 assists and Sydney Schoen finished with 20 digs.
 
EKU had 68 kills, compared to 57 for Chattanooga.  The Colonels hit .246 and had 10 more digs than the Mocs.
 
The Golden Eagles (6-5) won the first match 25-19, 25-22 and 25-20.  Michalak led EKU with 11 kills.  Schoen had 14 digs.  Grinley added 20 assists. 
 
A kill by Purichia late in the second set got Eastern Kentucky within two, 21-19, but Southern Miss scored the next two points to get within two points of taking a 2-0 lead.
 
The event concludes for Eastern Kentucky on Saturday with a match at noon against Lamar.