CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The EKU beach volleyball team continued its trend of strong starts in tournament play with a pair of wins over Liberty and Chattanooga on Saturday. The Colonels swept Liberty for the third time this season and rallied from an early deficit to knock off the host Mocs, 3-2. 

EKU won all 10 sets against Liberty despite a lineup that featured three pairs playing together for the first time this season. Elizabeth Fonvielle and Arilyn Lee set the tone with a 21-14, 21-9 victory at the No. 5 flight to open the match and the No. 1 pairing of Hannah Keating and Shannon Stone outlasted the Flames with a 29-27, 21-15 victory to complete the sweep. 

Trailing 1-0 against Chattanooga, EKU turned its afternoon match around when EK Lonergan and Madalyn Richardson fought back for a 17-21, 21-18, 15-12 win on court four. Rachel Mueller and Sarah Mitchell's 21-17, 21-14 win at No. 3 put the Colonels in front before Keating and Stone sealed the deal with a 24-22, 21-16 on court one. 
 
Keating and Stone extended their winning streak to six consecutive matches, while Mueller earned her 12th and 13th wins of the season, the second-highest total of any individual on the team. EKU has now won seven consecutive matches on the first days of weekend tournaments and is 9-1 this year on day one of multi-day events. 

The Colonels return to action on Saturday to battle Carson-Newman at 11:00 a.m. and UT Martin at 3:00 p.m.

EKU 5, Liberty 0

1. Hannah Keating/Shannon Stone (EKU) def. Lizzy Armstrong/Kaitlyn Holbrook (LU), 29-27, 21-15
2. Sarah Mitchell/Rachel Mueller (EKU) def. Heather Forton/Cara Lecklider (LU), 21-11, 21-14
3. Maddy Campbell/Paityn Walker (EKU) def. Grace Cropper/Sydnie Metzker (LU), 21-18, 21-12
4. EK Lonergan/Madalyn Richardson (EKU) def. Taylor Arnold/Jillian Kater (LU), 21-17, 21-16
5. Elizabeth Fonvielle/Arilyn Lee (EKU) def. Abigail Luke/Emma Taylor (LU), 21-14, 21-9

EKU 3, Chattanooga 2

1. Hannah Keating/Shannon Stone (EKU) def. Neva Clark/Joy Courtright (UTC), 24-22, 21-16
2. McKenna Faychak/Maddie Lecik (UTC) def. Maddy Campbell/Paityn Walker (EKU), 21-19, 16-21, 15-11
3. Rachel Mueller/Bella Williams (EKU) def. Julia Davis/Maddi Morris (UTC), 21-17, 21-14
4. Maddy Campbell/EK Lonergan (EKU) def. Grace Frigaard/Halle Olson (UTC), 17-21, 21-18, 15-12
5. Kaye Gresham/Maddie Myers-Osband (UTC) def. Elizabeth Fonvielle/Chloe Mason (EKU), 21-16, 21-19