Eastern Kentucky University Athletics

Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga. – Eastern Kentucky suffered its first loss of the season on Sunday, falling to Georgia Southern, 3-2, at the GATA Challenge in Statesboro, Georgia.
 
GSU (3-3) won by scores of 25-18, 22-25, 22-25, 25-21 and 15-7.
 
In the first set, the Colonels were within three before three straight by the Eagles put the set away.  A kill from Reagan Barth and a service error gave Georgia Southern a 6-point advantage, 21-15.  Beka Pfefferkorn ended the opener, 25-18, with a kill.
 
A 4-0 run from the Colonels turned a 12-11 deficit into a 15-12 lead in the second set, and EKU led the rest of the way.  Emma Closurdo capped the run with a kill.  Audrey Hudson pushed it to 19-15 with a kill.  Addison Burke ended the set, 25-22, with a kill.
 
Georgia Southern took a 19-15 lead in the third set on a kill from Gabby Babinski, but EKU didn't fold.  A 6-1 run allowed the Colonels to go in front.  Closurdo tied it, 20-20, with a kill.  Alexis Bull put the visitors ahead, 21-20, with a kill.  After the Eagles tied it at 21-21, and again at 22-22, Eastern Kentucky scored the final three points of the set.  Burke gave her squad set-point with a kill and Hudson ended it, 25-22, with an ace.
 
EKU had a 20-18 lead in the fourth set before GSU used a 7-1 run to end it and tie the match.  A block from Kayla Knowles and Pfefferkorn broke a 2-2 tie early in the fifth set and Georgia Southern led the rest of the way.  The Eagles closed out the match with a 5-0 run.  Barth ended it, 15-7, with a kill.
 
Hudson had a team-high 15 kills for Eastern Kentucky (4-1).  Burke and Closurdo finished with 12 kills each.  Emilee Hill had 25 assists and 22 digs.
 
Barth led all players with 23 kills, hitting .321 for the match. 
 
Georgia Southern out-blocked the Colonels 14-7 and hit .258 for the match.  The Eagles committed 13 service errors, compared to only six for EKU.
 
The Colonels will play three matches at the Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic hosted by Western Kentucky starting on Thursday.  EKU will face James Madison, Pepperdine and WKU over three days with all three matches starting at 4 p.m. ET.