RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University will welcome three other volleyball teams to Richmond for the Geri Polvino Invitational (GPI) this weekend.  The event will feature six matches over two days at Baptist Health Arena.
 
The GPI will be held in conjunction with Alumni Weekend.  The action starts Friday with Chattanooga and Georgia State at 10 a.m.  EKU will face Murray State at 12:30 p.m.  Murray State and Chattanooga will battle at 3 p.m.  The first day ends with the Colonels playing Georgia State at 6 p.m.
 
Saturday's action starts at 11 a.m. when Murray State and Georgia State take the court.  EKU closes out the event at 1:30 p.m. against Chattanooga.
 
The three EKU matches will air live on ESPN+.
 
THE COLONELS
-  EKU (5-2) is riding a 4-match winning streak, having won the last three by 3-0 scores.
 
-  The Colonels posted a .301 attack percentage in a sweep of Marshall on Tuesday.  Carson Ledford hit .444, Kambree Lucas had a .407 attack percentage and AG Vandagriff hit .316.  The trio combined for 29 kills and four errors in three sets.
 
-  EKU leads the Atlantic Sun Conference with 14.96 kills per set.  The Colonels are third in hitting percentage (.246), third in digs (16.74 per set) and fourth in opponent's hitting percentage (.194).
 
-  Lucas is fifth in the ASUN with 3.52 kills per set this season.  Sarah Mitchell is 10th at 2.96 kills per set.
 
-  In their last four matches, the Colonels have served up 24 aces while their opponents have had only five.  EKU had a 5-1 edge over Marshall in aces on Tuesday.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
-  Murray State (5-1) has won five of its first six matches, including all three at the Bellarmine Tournament last weekend.  The Racers beat Southern Indiana and New Orleans by 3-0 scores before knocking off the Knights 3-1.  Darci Metzger, a 6-foot senior, leads the team with 4.46 kills per set.  
 
-  Georgia State is 3-3 this season, with wins over South Carolina State, New Orleans and Elon.  The Panthers have a 3-2 loss to fellow GPI participant Chattanooga.  Jahniya Jackson, a 5-foot-9 freshman outside hitter, leads the team with 2.73 kills per set.  Junior Livy Kowalkowski is averaging 5.71 digs per set.  
 
-  At 6-1, Chattanooga has tied the best start in program history.  The Mocs' only loss was to Southern Illinois in five sets.  UTC beat Austin Peay, 3-1, on Wednesday.  Morgan Romano is averaging a team-high 4.19 kills per set while hitting .311 for the season.  Four players are averaging 0.50 or more blocks per set, led by Marcelle Baez-Carlo at 0.96.

INSIDE THE SERIES
-  Long time Ohio Valley Conference rivals EKU and Murray State will meet for the 82nd time.  The Colonels have a 42-39 edge in the all-time series.  EKU earned a 3-2 win in the last meeting, Oct. 12, 2019 in Richmond. 
 
-  EKU is 2-0 all-time against Georgia State.  The first match came in 2004 and the most recent meeting was one season later in 2005. 
 
-  The Colonels are 4-1 all-time against Chattanooga.  The first meeting was in 1974.  The last meeting was a 3-2 EKU win at the Southern Miss Classic in Hattiesburg on Sept. 17, 2021.