Eastern Kentucky Defeats West Georgia in Straight Sets

Eastern Kentucky Sweeps West Georgia in Straight Sets

The University of West Georgia volleyball team struggled to find its rhythm in Richmond, Kentucky, on Thursday, falling to Eastern Kentucky in a decisive three-set sweep. According to a report from uwgathletics.com, the Wolves were unable to overcome early deficits and momentum shifts, ultimately losing the match in straight sets.

The loss puts the Wolves in a position where they must quickly recalibrate before their upcoming road trip. The team is scheduled to travel to Clarksville, Tennessee, to face Austin Peay on Saturday, November 7, with a noon kickoff.

Eastern Kentucky Takes First Set Lead

The opening set saw Eastern Kentucky establish an immediate advantage, jumping to a 4-0 lead powered by two kills from Addison Burke. West Georgia managed to stabilize the scoring briefly, clawing back to a 5-2 lead following an attack error by the Colonels and a kill by Adriana Medrano. The Wolves found some defensive footing through Valiree Schmus, who recorded a solo stuff to bring the score to 7-4.

Despite a mid-set surge where Brooke McCall and Milena Ćetković helped the Wolves tie the score at 11-11, the Colonels responded with a 5-1 run. While Schmus and Maddy Kirmer provided late-set resistance, Eastern Kentucky secured the first set 18-25.

West Georgia Trails After Second Set

West Georgia showed flashes of competitiveness at the start of the second set, with Grace Blythe-Cornett and Ćetković providing kills to briefly lead and tie the match. However, the momentum swung violently toward the Colonels, who utilized two UWG errors to extend a lead to 7-2. Head coach Adam Milewski called a timeout in an attempt to halt the slide, but the gap widened to 11-3 shortly after.

McCall and Desha Van Veldhuizen attempted to spark a comeback, narrowing the margin to 13-7, but Eastern Kentucky maintained control. The Colonels eventually closed out the second set with a 25-point finish.

The Final Push in Set Three

The third set followed a similar pattern of early pressure and inconsistent responses. Eastern Kentucky took an initial 3-0 lead, though West Georgia answered back to tie the set at 3-3 through Schmus and Colonel errors. The teams traded points in a tightly contested middle stretch, but Eastern Kentucky eventually pulled ahead 11-8.

A block assist from Cornett and Kirmer briefly tightened the contest, bringing the deficit to 14-11. Ultimately, the Colonels executed a 7-1 closing run to finish the match with a 25-14 set score and the overall victory.

The Wolves will look to bounce back this weekend against Austin Peay. Following that matchup, the team returns home for its final home match of the season on Thursday, November 12. West Georgia will host Little Rock at 6 p.m. for Senior Day, an event where UWG students can attend for free with a valid student ID.

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