Box Score
RICHMOND, Ky. – Emma Closurdo had a match-best 14 kills to lead Eastern Kentucky to a 3-0 victory over Marshall on Tuesday in the Colonels' first home match of the season.
EKU (7-2) won by scores of 25-23, 25-14 and 25-21.
Closurdo made only four errors in 24 attempts for a .417 attack percentage. She also had five blocks and three digs.
Addison Burke finished with 10 kills.
Emilee Hill had seven kills, 22 assists, 10 digs, four aces and three blocks.
Caitlyn Flees contributed seven blocks, three aces and two kills.
Down 22-21 late in the first set, back-to-back kills from Closurdo put the Colonels on top. A kill from Flees gave EKU set-point at 24-22. After a point by Marshall, Closurdo finished off the opener, 25-23, with a kill.
EKU scored the first five points of the second set and never trailed. Consecutive aces from Flees pushed the lead to six, 16-10. An ace from
Cassidy Trahan and a kill by Closurdo had Eastern in front 21-13. Flees and Closurdo combined for a block to reach set-point before a Marshall attack error ended the second 25-14.
Marshall was down 9-8 in the third before a 7-1 run put the visitors ahead by five. Logan Henderson's kill capped it and had her team up 15-10. The Thundering Herd still had a 5-point advantage, 16-11, after a kill from Kahea Carvalho.
However, a 9-3 run turned the set in favor of Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels closed the gap to two, 19-17, on a kill and ace from Hill. Another ace from Hill and a kill by Closurdo tied it at 19-19. A third ace in a stretch of four points for Hill capped the run and put EKU in front 20-19. After the Herd tied it at 20-20, the Colonels ended the match on a 5-1 run. Two straight kills from Closurdo finished off the third 25-21.
Henderson and Marae Reilly had 10 kills each for Marshall (5-4).
Eastern held the Thundering Herd to a .070 attack percentage while hitting .229 for the match. The Colonels had a 10-9 edge in blocks and an 8-6 margin in aces.
EKU will host the Geri Polvino Invitational (GPI) this weekend. A total of six matches will be played over two days. The action begins on Friday at 10 a.m. when Tennessee Tech plays Appalachian State. EKU will take on Presbyterian at 1 p.m. Appalachian State and Presbyterian will face each other at 4 p.m. Friday's action wraps up with EKU and Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Presbyterian and Tennessee Tech will play at 11 a.m., and EKU and Appalachian State will close out the event at 2 p.m.
