RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's beach volleyball team is headed to Columbia South Carolina for its third weekend tournament of the 2024 Spring season.
 
The Colonels will begin competition in the Palmetto State on Saturday with matches against New Orleans and Tennessee Tech, with two more matches on Sunday against ASUN Conference Foe, and host South Carolina.
 
The Colonels
 
EKU heads to South Carolina coming off a 1-3 performance at the UAB Beach Classic last weekend where the Colonels knocked off OVC preseason favorites UT Martin before falling to UTEP, No. 15 FAU, and host UAB.
 
The Colonels have gotten a boost in performance from the pair of EK Lonergan and Gabby Armitage who are 6-2 this season overall, including a perfect, 4-0 start to the season.
 
 EKU's 5-1 start to the season marked the best start to a season in program history.
 
Scouting the Privateers
 
New Orleans finished 2023 with a 21-17 overall record, making the semifinal round of the Southland Conference tournament. The 21 wins were a program record.
 
The Privateers are led by sophomore Maria Ozaeta. In 2023 the Spaniard recorded a 21-13 overall record in the No. 1 position.
 
Fellow returner Hannah Volpi finished the year with a 19-13 overall record, primarily in the No. 3 position. She is a two-time all-conference honoree.
 
The roster got a boost from Central Arkansas transfer Bria Garmon. Last spring, she competed primarily in the No. 1 pair at UCA. 
 
Scouting the Golden Eagles
 
Tennessee Tech debuted as a beach volleyball program in 2023, finishing with a 8-12 overall record and 4-6 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference.
 
The Golden Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the OVC this spring.

Freshman Jordan Karlen earned the program's first-ever postseason honor in 2023, making the OVC's all-freshman team after playing every dual. Karlen did not compete in the team's first weekend of competition.
 
Bella Powell and Madolyn Isringhausen anchored the top spot in the lineup to open the season, the pair went 3-1 at number one after being mainstays in the lineup last spring.
 
Scouting the Ospreys
 
UNF won 24 duals last spring and return a number of key contributors. Seven Ospreys who won 20 or more matches in 2023 are back, highlighted by preseason all-conference members Madison Espy and Presley Murray.
 
UNF earned three superlative awards (Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year) and placed four pairs on the ASUN All-Conference squad in 2023.
 
The team went 3-1 last weekend at home, defeating Mercer and Jacksonville and splitting a doubleheader with FGCU.
 
Scouting the Gamecocks
 
South Carolina is 4-4 on the season heading into the weekend, coming off four wins at home last weekend.
 
The Gamecocks four wins came against Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, UNCW, and College of Charleston.
 
In the wins, the Gamecocks' pairs won 16 of the 20 individual matches on the weekend.
 
South Carolina started the season ranked No. 17 in the country, but dropped its first four matches of the season at the Tampa Invite, three of them to other ranked programs.