EKU Colonels’ volleyball squad hit the court with swagger and made noise, snapping up wins over Mercer and the host College of Charleston to open their season at the Charleston Classic on Friday.
Mercer Gets Rocked
The Colonels set the tempo from the jump, rolling through Mercer in straight sets, 25-19, 25-16, 25-17. After a close start in set one, AG Hynes’ kill and a Mercer misfire spurred a four-point run, the kind of momentum shift that’s contagious in a gym. Rookie Cassidy Trahan landed an ace and Addison Burke closed the opener with another kill, putting EKU up early.
Mercer tried to flip the script in the second set, jumping out ahead 9-5, but EKU shut it all down with a 12-1 blast—Burke on the finish again, to lock up control. The third set was all Colonels, as they ran the first five points en route to the sweep.
Standouts on the Court
Hynes played with purpose, claiming a match-high 10 kills and three blocks while hitting .263. Hill and Burke hunted six kills each, and Trahan made her collegiate debut with grit, nailing two aces and scooping 12 digs. EKU’s defense was on lockdown, out-blocking Mercer 7-2 and holding them to a frosty .000 attack percentage.
Charleston Runs Into A Buzzsaw
The Colonels kept their edge in game two, handing College of Charleston a 3-1 loss (25-16, 20-25, 25-21, 25-12). When things were tied up at one set apiece, Hill went off with a kill, pushing EKU ahead 18-12 in the third. Charleston tried to claw back, tying at 20 and 21, but EKU slammed the door with four straight points, thanks to a Ledford kill and a Cougars miscue.
Charleston opened the fourth with the first punch, but the Colonels came back swinging. A kill from Burke sparked a monster 15-1 run, flipping a deficit into a 16-5 lead and sealing the match with style.
Big Numbers, Big Energy
Hynes was a problem, racking up 16 kills and hitting a ridiculous .538 with just two errors. Hill came through with a triple-double: 14 kills, 20 assists, and 12 digs, keeping her mistake rate low at a .375 clip. Burke did her thing, stacking 14 kills and 12 digs. The team smoked their shots for a .319 hitting percentage and served up 13 aces, Ledford and Abney notching four apiece while holding Charleston to .183.
Eyes Forward
EKU’s rolling through the Classic and will test their heat against Appalachian State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., look for them to keep that city energy going. photo courtesy EKU Athletics
