RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's volleyball team will start Atlantic Sun Conference play with a road match at Bellarmine on Friday before hosting Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday.
 
Friday's match in Louisville will begin at 6 p.m. ET.  Sunday's contest at the Olympic Sports Training Center on the EKU campus will start at 12 p.m. ET.  Both matches will air live on ESPN+.
 
Macatude Food Truck will be on site for Sunday's match.  The first 50 customers will receive a FREE 12-ounce Dirty Soda.
 
THE COLONELS
-  The Colonels split a pair of matches against Cincinnati and Ball State last weekend and are now 8-4 on the season.
 
-  Addison Burke led the ASUN in points per set (4.83) and was second in kills per set (4.33) last week.  She also hit .284 with only 10 errors in 102 attempts and averaged 2.0 digs per set.  The freshman set a season-high with 20 kills in the win at Ball State.
 
-  Amanda Mack, a sophomore who played last season at Cincinnati, notched a career-high 16 kills against Cincinnati on Friday.
 
-  EKU leads the ASUN Conference in hitting percentage (.265), kills (13.65/set) and assists (13.12/set).  As a team, the Colonels are second in the league in points (17.02/set), opponent hitting percentage (.202), and digs (15.27/set).
 
-  Carson Ledford is fourth in the ASUN with a .372 attack percentage.  AG Hynes is fifth in the conference with a .362 hitting percentage, seventh with 3.08 kills per set and eighth with 3.41 points per set.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
-  Bellarmine is 6-6 overall this season after going 2-1 at the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational last weekend.  The Knights beat Mercyhurst 3-0, lost 3-0 to Toledo and beat Fort Wayne 3-2.  
 
-  Natalie Bland leads BU with 3.42 kills per set and is hitting .191 for the season.  The junior outside hitter has 188 more attacks than anyone else on the team.  Erika Smith, a junior middle blocker, leads the squad with 0.80 blocks per set. 
 
-  Florida Gulf Coast is 5-5 this season.  The Eagles beat Florida International, 3-1, before falling to Miami, 3-1, last weekend.
 
-  Barbara Koehler leads the team with 3.13 kills per set.  Erica Muhizi is seventh in the ASUN with 1.03 blocks per set and second in hitting percentage (.405). 
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  The Colonels are 11-3 all-time against Bellarmine and has won four straight against the Knights.  In two meetings last season, EKU won by scores of 3-0 and 3-1. 
 
-  FGCU has a 5-1 advantage in the series.  EKU beat the Eagles 3-0 in Richmond during the regular season last year.  It was the only conference loss in 2024 for Florida Gulf Coast.  The Eagles picked up a 3-1 win over the Colonels in the ASUN Tournament.