Box Score vs. Akron  |  Box Score vs. UTRGV

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's volleyball team beat the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 3-0, in its second match of the 2025 Geri Polvino Invitational on Friday.  The Colonels fell, 3-1, to Akron in their first match of the day.
 
EKU beat UTRGV by scores of 25-23, 29-27 and 25-16.
 
With the first set tied 21-21, Carson Ledford and AG Hynes recorded back-to-back kills to give EKU a cushion.  Leading by one, Hynes finished off the opener with a kill.
 
The Colonels built an 18-11 lead in the second set, but UTRGV came all the way back.  A 13-6 run capped by a kill from Julianna Bryant tied the set at 24-24.  The Vaqueros had three set-points but the Colonels stayed alive each time.  Emilee Hill tied the set at 27-27 with a kill.  Addison Burke followed with a kill.  Hill ended it and gave her team a 2-0 lead with a kill.
 
After a kill from Nadine Zech put UTRGV in front 10-9 in the third set, the Colonels scored seven unanswered to take control.  A kill from Ledford and an error capped the run and handed the home team a 16-10 lead.  An ace from Ledford made it 20-12.  EKU took the set, and the match, on a service error.
 
Burke led all players with 16 kills.  She made only three errors in 31 attempts for a .419 attack percentage and added 11 digs.  Hynes had 12 kills and hit .526.  Cassidy Trahan finished with a match-best 18 digs.
 
EKU hit .289 for the match as a team, finishing with 13 more kills than the Vaqueros.  UTRGV hit .207 but out-blocked the Colonels 8-4.
 
Akron won by scores of 17-25, 26-24, 25-21 and 25-22.
 
In the first set, EKU led by just one, 16-15, before a 6-1 run allowed the Colonels to seize control.  Amanda Mack started it with a kill and ended it with a kill to put her squad ahead 22-16.  A block from Ledford and Hynes ended the set in favor of the home team.
 
Facing set-point, the Colonels tied the second set at 24-24 on a kill from Burke.  However the Zips scored the next two points to even the match.  EKU closed to within two, 22-20, late in the third set before back-to-back kills from Delaney Gash and Jordyn Aeschliman took Akron to set-point.  Maureen Mathews kill moments later gave the Zips a 2-1 lead.
 
The Colonels led 21-20 after a kill from Mack late in the fourth set, but the Zips scored the next four points on their way to winning the set and the match.
 
Mack and Burke had 14 kills each for EKU.  Burke made only two errors and had a .324 attack percentage.  Gash led all players with 25 kills for Akron (5-2).
 
In the first match of the day, UTRGV beat Northern Kentucky 3-0.
 
The GPI continues on Saturday with Northern Kentucky and Akron at 10 a.m.  Akron and UTRGV face each other at 4 p.m.  The GPI concludes with an in-state rivalry match between NKU and the Colonels at 7 p.m.  The EKU match against Northern Kentucky will air live on ESPN+.