RICHMOND, Ky. - Coach Lori Duncan's Eastern Kentucky University women's volleyball team begins Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend with matches at Middle Tennessee State University Friday and at Tennessee Tech University Saturday.

The Colonels got on the winning track for the '99 season for the first time last weekend by winning the Robert Morris College Colonial Classic. EKU upended Canisius College (15-3, 15-7, 15-10), Robert Morris (15-12, 15-5, 15-9) and Oakland (15-12, 15-9, 17-15) to win the tourney title.

EKU freshman outside hitter Becky Galati made the trip to her hometown of Pittsburgh a memorable one by being named to the All-Tournament team. In the three Colonel victories, she came up with 45 kills and an outstanding cumulative hitting percentage of .346.

"I am pleased with Becky's performance this past weekend," said Duncan. "She played hard and, no doubt, deserved to make the All-Tournament team."

Other Colonels played well enough to have been named to this honor team, according to Duncan, but tournament guidelines precluded any other Eastern player from being chosen.

"Because of the format of this tournament, each team was to nominate one player, and one only, from its own team to make All-Tournament. So, regardless of how the team played as a whole, we were only going to get one player on the team."

Galati quickly followed this honor up Monday by being named as the OVC's first Freshman of the Week for the 1999 season.

Before venturing south to Tennessee this weekend, Eastern saw its three-match winning streak end as the Colonels were upended by Xavier University, 15-10, 17-15, 15-8, Tuesday.

Eastern stands 3-6 on the season.