LEXINGTON, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky, the preseason favorite to win the United Athletic Conference (UAC) volleyball championship, will begin its 2026 season with two matches at the Bluegrass Battle hosted by the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
The Colonels will face South Florida on Friday and Utah State on Saturday. Both matches will begin at 2 p.m.
THE COLONELS
- EKU has three starters and its libero returning from last season's team that went 22-9 overall and 12-4 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Colonels advanced to the ASUN Tournament championship match.
- The three returning starters are setter
Emilee Hill, outside hitter
Addison Burke and middle blocker
Caitlyn Flees, along with libero
Cassidy Trahan. Hill was the 2025 ASUN Conference Player of the Year and an honorable mention All-America selection. Burke was the ASUN Freshman of the Year and Trahan was the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year.
- EKU is in a new conference in 2026 – the United Athletic Conference. The Colonels were picked by league coaches as the favorite to win the UAC title this season.
- Hill was chosen as the UAC Preseason Player of the Year and the Preseason Setter of the Year. Trahan was voted as the UAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Those two joined Burke on the Preseason All-UAC Team.
- Eastern Kentucky has won 20 or more matches in three straight seasons. It is the first time the program has accomplished that since 2003-05. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Colonels are 64-28.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
- South Florida went 17-13 overall and 12-4 in the American Conference last season. The Bulls earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and lost to Penn State in the first round.
- This year's team includes the daughters of two former NBA players. Ryelle Rondo, a 5-foot-7 sophomore libero, is the daughter of former UK player and 2-time NBA champion Rajon Rondo. Samiyah Abdur-Rahim, a 6-foot-2 redshirt senior outside hitter, is the daughter of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the third pick in the 1996 NBA draft and a 2000 Olympic gold medalist.
- Utah State also played in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, knocking off Tennessee in the first round before falling to Arizona State. The Aggies were 24-8 overall and 18-0 in the Mountain West Conference.
- USU lost its head coach, all six starters and the libero after last season. The 12 new players include transfers from West Virginia, BYU, Maryland and California.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- EKU holds a 3-2 edge in the all-time series with South Florida. The teams last met in 2011 with Eastern Kentucky picking up a 3-1 win in Tampa.
- Utah State is 2-0 all-time against the Colonels. The first meeting between the teams was in 2007. The most recent came in 2015 when the Aggies earned a 3-1 victory in Greeley, Colorado.
