EASTERN KENTUCKY VOLLEYBALL HEADING TO MISSISSIPPI

A trip to Mississippi awaits the Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team this weekend when the Colonels play in the Southern Miss Classic II.

All three EKU matches will air live on C-USA TV.

EKU will face the host Southern Mississippi on Friday at 1:30 p.m.  Later on Friday, the Colonels will take on Chattanooga at 6 p.m.  The event concludes for Eastern Kentucky on Saturday with a match at noon against Lamar.

INSIDE THE SERIES

–  EKU and Southern Miss will be meeting for the first time. 

–  The Colonels are 3-1 all-time against Chattanooga.  The most recent meeting was in 2015. 

–  Lamar holds a 2-1 advantage over Eastern Kentucky.  The two teams first met in 1974, but have not played since 2006. 

THE COLONELS

–  Eastern Kentucky (2-8) beat Western Carolina, 3-1, on Saturday but lost at Butler, 3-0, on Wednesday.

–  Molly Michalak had a match-best 16 kills with a .256 attack percentage and a block at Butler.

–  Sydney Schoen leads the team this season with 162 digs, an average of 4.05 per set.

–  The freshmen duo of Taylor Grinley and Miya Carmichael are sharing setting duties through the first 10 matches of the season.  Grinley has 274 assists (6.85 per set) while Carmichael has 147 assists (3.97 per set).

–  Mikayla Logan has the team lead in blocks with 23.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

–  Southern Miss is 5-5 this season after losing three at the Jacksonville State Invitational last weekend.  The Golden Eagles lost to South Alabama (3-1), Nicholls (3-2) and Jacksonville State (3-1).  Liana Guillemaud leads the team with 4.33 kills per set.  

–  Chattanooga is 3-7 and coming off three losses at home in the Chattanooga Classic.  The Mocs fell to Tennessee Tech (3-0), Virginia Tech (3-2) and Troy (3-1).  Maia Rackel averages a team-best 3.59 kills per set. 

–  Lamar is also 3-7.  The Cardinals won one of three at their own Lamar Invitational last weekend, beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-1) before losing to Little Rock (3-0) and Northwestern State (3-1).  Kaitlyn Gil leads the team with 2.89 kills per set.

— www.EKUSports.com —

Kevin Britton

EKUSports Communications