RICHMOND, Ky. – After going 9-4 in non-conference matches, the Colonel volleyball team will begin Atlantic Sun Conference play at home this week against Austin Peay and Lipscomb.
Thursday's match against APSU will begin at 6 p.m. and will be Lace Up for Pediatric Cancer Night. Friday's match against ASUN preseason favorite Lipscomb will start at 6 p.m. There will be a FREE soft pretzel bar for the first 50 fans in attendance on Friday.
Both matches will air live on ESPN+.
THE COLONELS
- Since starting the season with a 1-2 record at the Boston College Invitational, the Colonels (9-4) have won eight of their last 10 matches. EKU beat Oakland and Ohio this past weekend at the Green & White Invitational.
- Sophomore
Emilee Hill recorded her first career triple-double in EKU's 3-0 victory over Oakland. She finished with 11 kills, 18 digs and 19 assists. The setter from Yorktown, Indiana also had three blocks and one ace. It was the first triple-double by a Colonels since Cassie Knutson in 2018.
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Josie Schmitendorf earned her second ASUN Defensive Player of the Week award of the season on Monday. She averaged 5.07 digs per set while helping EKU go 3-1 last week.
- As a team, EKU leads the ASUN in points (17.09/set). The Colonels are second in kills (13.17/set), assists (12.21/set) and hitting percentage (.211).
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Paige Wagers leads the ASUN and is 14th in the nation with 1.47 blocks per set. She is seventh in the conference with a .273 attack percentage.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
- Austin Peay is 1-10 this season and 0-0 in ASUN matches. The Governors have lost nine straight, including three matches last weekend at the WKU Invitational against Eastern Illinois, Arkansas State and Western Kentucky.
- Sarah Carnathan leads the team with 2.32 kills per set. Tayler Baron leads the squad, and is fourth in the conference, with 4.19 digs per set.
- Lipscomb sits at 3-8 overall and will come into Friday's match 0-0 in the league. The Bisons have played eight matches against teams from Power-4 conferences and have lost four times to teams ranked among the top-20 in the nation.
- Despite its tough schedule, Lipscomb has the fourth most blocks in the ASUN (1.87/set), has allowed the fifth fewest kills (12.41/set) and is second in aces (1.90/set). Courtney Jones is second in the ASUN in aces (0.51/set), is third in points (3.94/set) and eighth in kills (3.26/set).
INSIDE THE SERIES
- EKU leads the series with Austin Peay 45-27. The Colonels have won three straight over the Governors without losing a set.
- EKU has an 11-3 advantage in the series against Lipscomb. The two teams split a pair of 5-set matches last season with each winning on their own home court.
