Box Score

DELAND, Fla. – Sarah Mitchell had a career-high 26 kills and only three errors in Eastern Kentucky University's 3-1 victory at Stetson on Saturday.
 
The Colonels (19-8, 10-4 ASUN) won by scores of 25-22, 25-17, 23-25 and 25-16.
 
Mitchell hit .348 for the match, and also finished with 14 digs and two aces.
 
A kill from Jenna Simmons put Stetson ahead by five, 18-13, in the opening set.  The Colonels responded by scoring eight of the next nine points.  After an attack error allowed EKU to tie the score, 19-19, Paige Wagers gave her team its first lead of the set with a kill.  Isa Blackwell's service ace capped the run and had the visitors in front 21-19.  With the set tied 22-22, the Colonels rolled off the final three points.  Mitchell made it set-point with a kill.  Carson Ledford finished it off with a kill.
 
EKU scored the first four points of the second set and led the entire way.  Ledford made it a 5-point lead, 13-8, with a kill.  After the Hatters closed to within three, 20-17, on a kill from Kayla Balfour, the Colonels scored the final five points of the set.  Mitchell closed it out with a kill.
 
A 5-0 run early in the third set handed Stetson an 8-4 lead.  A kill from Anabelle Standish put the Hatters in front 12-9.  A kill from Balfour pushed the margin to four, 14-10, for Stetson.  From that point the Colonels scored six straight to swing the lead in their favor.  Mitchell tied it 14-14 with a kill.  An attack error capped the run for a 16-14 lead.  In an effort to keep the match alive, Stetson went back on top 20-19 after an EKU attack error and took a 22-21 advantage on another attack error.  The Hatters took set point after another attack error and then won it 25-23 after a block from Leilani Vitale and Balfour.
 
After Stetson scored the first point of the fourth set, EKU scored the next five and led the rest of the way.  Wagers made it 10-3 with a kill.  Back-to-back kills by Mitchell stretched it to a 9-point margin at 17-8.  The Colonels wrapped up the set and the match on a kill from Ledford.
 
EKU held Stetson to a .087 attack percentage and finished with just three fewer blocks than the Atlantic Sun Conference leader in that category (15-12).  The Colonels served up six aces, compared to just three for the Hatters.
 
Ledford finished with 13 kills, five blocks and one ace.  Wagers had seven kills and six blocks.  Josie Schmitendorf totaled a match-best 27 digs.
 
Standish had a team-best 14 kills for Stetson (5-20, 2-12 ASUN) to go along with 12 digs and four blocks.
 
The Colonels will conclude the regular season with a pair home matches next weekend.  EKU will host Central Arkansas on Friday at 6 p.m. and North Alabama on Saturday at 4 p.m.