Box Score  |  2024 ASUN Tournament Bracket

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's volleyball team won its 20th match of the season with a 3-0 victory over the University of North Alabama on Saturday at the Rick Erdmann Olympic Sports Training Center.
 
EKU (20-9, 11-5 ASUN) has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 2004 and 2005.  Last year the Colonels finished 21-9.
 
The maroon and white won Saturday's Senior Day match by scores of 25-13, 25-18 and 25-19.
 
Senior outside hitter Sarah Mitchell posted a match-high 14 kills in her final match at home.  She made just three errors in 24 attempts and finished with a .458 attack percentage.  Fellow senior Paige Wagers contributed seven kills, a .500 hitting percentage and seven blocks.  Senior Josie Schmitendorf had a match-best 11 digs.
 
The Colonels were down 3-2 in the first before using a 14-3 run to put the set away.  Carson Ledford started it with a kill to tie the score.  Back-to-back attack errors by UNA pushed the margin to 11-4.  Mitchell capped it with a kill to push the home team ahead 16-6.  Cooper Abney ended the set, 25-13, with a kill.
 
North Alabama took an 18-15 lead on a kill from Reese Ricketts in the second set, but the Lions didn't score again.  EKU closed out the set on a 10-0 run.  After an attack error tied it at 18-18, Emilee Hill gave the Colonels the lead with an ace.  Another Hill ace and a kill from Mitchell ended the set 25-18.
 
Hill finished the match with three aces, 19 assists and 10 digs.  In addition to serving the final 10 points of the second set, she served the first point of the third for 11 straight by the sophomore setter.
 
EKU staged another comeback late in the third set.  The Lions went in front 15-14 on a kill from Jasmine Brooks.  From that point, the Colonels used an 8-1 run to put the match away.  Senior Kambree Lucas tied it with a kill.  Abney's ace finished off a run of five unanswered to make it 19-15.  A kill from Wagers and a UNA attack error finished it and put EKU on top 22-16.  Mitchell finished the set, and the match, with a kill.
 
Brooks had a team-high 12 kills for North Alabama (15-14, 9-7 ASUN). 
 
The Colonels had an 11-3 edge in blocks and out-hit the Lions .333 to .121.
 
No. 4 seed EKU will begin play in the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament on Thursday against No. 5 seed Jacksonville in Fort Myers, Florida.  The match will begin at 4 p.m. ET.