STATESBORO, Ga. – After starting the season 2-0, Eastern Kentucky will play three matches this weekend at the GATA Challenge hosted by Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia.
 
The Colonels will face Radford at 2:30 p.m. ET on Friday and then take on Prairie View A&M on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.  EKU will close out play on Sunday against Georgia Southern at 1 p.m. ET.  The match against GSU will air live on ESPN+.
 
THE COLONELS
-  Eastern (2-0) started the season by beating a pair of 2025 NCAA Tournament teams.  South Florida earned an at-large bid and lost to Penn State.  Utah State knocked off Tennessee in the first round before falling to Arizona State.
 
-  Emilee Hill was chosen as the United Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 2.54 kills, 6.56 assists, 2.56 digs and 0.56 blocks per set.  She posted a triple-double against Utah State, the 16th of her career.
 
-  In the first two matches of the season, sophomore outside hitter Addison Burke averaged 3.33 kills, 2.00 digs, 0.44 blocks and 0.44 aces per set while hitting .357.
 
-  Caitlyn Flees is tied for first in the UAC in blocks (1.22/set).
 
-  EKU leads the UAC in hitting percentage (.277) and opponent service aces (0.67/set).  As a team, the Colonels are second in the league in assists (12.22/set) and third in kills (12.89/set).
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
-  Radford is 1-2 this season with a victory over Hampton (3-2), and losses to Bethune-Cookman (3-2) and East Carolina (3-1) during the first weekend of the season.  
 
-  Taryn Roberts, a 6-foot-2 senior middle blocker, leads the team with 3.43 kills per set while hitting .350.  Freshman Mia Jannazzo averages a team-best 4.67 digs per set. 
 
-  Prairie View A&M went 0-3 this past weekend – falling to Arizona (3-0), Santa Barbara (3-0) and Tarleton State (3-0).
 
-  D'Mya Hill leads PVAM with 3.00 kills per set, but the senior outside hitter only played in the first match of the season.  Camille Middleton, a 5-foot-7 sophomore outside hitter, is averaging 2.33 kills per set.  Shea McElroy, a junior libero, is contributing a team-high 2.67 digs per set.
 
-  Host Georgia Southern went 0-3 at the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic at Hawaii.  The eagles lost to Hawaii (3-1), San Diego (3-1) and Baylor (3-1).
 
-  Four players are averaging 2.25 kills or more, led by senior outside hitter Reagan Barth at 2.67 per set.  Kayla Knowles, a 6-foot senior outside hitter, had nine blocks in three matches and is averaging 0.90 per set. 
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  The Colonels are 4-3 all-time against Radford.  The teams have met three times since 2021 with the most recent being a 3-1 victory for Eastern in Richmond in 2024. 
 
-  This will be the first meeting between Eastern Kentucky and Prairie View A&M.
 
-  EKU and Georgia Southern will be meeting for the first time.