RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University beach volleyball team will start its 2025 season hosting the Cincy Clash in Cincinnati on Feb. 21-22.
 
On Friday the Colonels will face off against Liberty at 8 a.m. before facing in-state rival Morehead St. at noon.
 
The following day EKU will take on ASUN Conference foe Austin Peay at 10 a.m. followed by Tennessee Tech at 4 p.m.
 
EKU enters the 2025 season coming off a record-breaking year in 2024 as they earned a program best 16 wins in dual matches with a combined record of 8-0 against this weekend's opponents in the 2024 regular season.
 
The Colonels will be led by senior Paityn Walker who became the first player in program history to earn preseason all-conference honors earlier this month.
 
In 2024, she posted a 20-10 record with all matches coming in the top-flight as her and partner Sarah Mitchell ranked as high as No. 13 in the top-flight of the NCAA during the season recording ranked wins over opponents from North Alabama and Coastal Carolina.
 
Her 20 wins at the No. 1 spot marked the most ever by a Colonel in a single season regardless of spot in the lineup.
 
She enters 2025 with 48 career-wins, only four away from breaking the school's record for wins by an individual in a career.
 
Two other Colonels to keep an eye on are sophomores Gabriella Armitage and Riley Cutler.
 
In her debut season Armitage, set a new EKU record with 18 wins in her freshman season going 5-3 against ASUN opponents, playing in all 30 of EKU's matches predominately playing in the No. 4 flight with two different partners for each half of the season.
 
Her 18 wins is the second most of returning Colonels only behind Paityn Walker who recorded 20 in 2024.
 
Cutler was an All-ASUN Freshman team selection a season ago, after a strong campaign in 2024 when she went to 16-12 and 5-3 against conference opponents playing across the second, third, fourth, and fifth flights.
 
She opened her collegiate career with four-straight wins, helping the Colonels to their best start in program history, 5-0, and a program best 16 wins overall in 2024.