Eastern Kentucky University Athletics

Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky won the Geri Polvino Invitational (GPI) championship on Saturday after beating Appalachian State, 3-2, at Baptist Health Arena.
 
Both teams entered Saturday's match 2-0 in the GPI.  The Colonels improved to 10-2 this season after winning by scores of 25-20, 21-25, 25-17, 21-25 and 15-7.
 
In the other GPI match today, Tennessee Tech defeated Presbyterian College, 3-2, to claim third place.
 
EKU's Emilee Hill, Addison Burke and Cassidy Trahan earned all-tournament recognition.  Hill was chosen as the MVP.
 
The Colonels never trailed in the decisive fifth set.  Eastern scored the first two points of the set, and rolled off three straight after ASU tied it at 2-2.  Hill's kill made it a 7-3 lead and forced a timeout by the Mountaineers.  A block from Hill made it 10-5 and forced a second timeout for App State.  EKU scored the first two points out of the timeout to go up by seven.  A service error and a kill from Emma Closurdo finished off the set, 15-7, and the match.
 
Hill had a triple double, finishing with a match-high 16 kills, 28 assists, 15 digs, five blocks and one ace.  Burke had 15 kills and seven digs.  Trahan finished with 27 digs.
 
With the match tied 1-1, Eastern Kentucky used a 6-0 run to seize control of the third set.  After Appalachian State knotted the score at 10-10, Audrey Hudson started the run with a kill.  Closurdo's kill capped it and put her team ahead 16-10.  An ace from Burke pushed the margin to seven, 20-13.  Burke's kill ended the set 25-17.
 
Chelsea Gilmore and Bella Hutchens led the Mountaineers with 12 kills each.
 
The Colonels hit .224 for the match while holding ASU to a .160 attack percentage.  The Mountaineers hit .056 in the fifth set.  Both teams struggled with service errors, but App State made three more than Eastern and had one less block (10-9). 
 
EKU will begin United Athletic Conference play with a road trip to Arkansas next week.  The Colonels will play at Central Arkansas on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET and at Little Rock on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.