RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University volleyball squad will be searching for its first win of the 1998 season as it hosts Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri this weekend. The Panthers of Eastern Illinois will be in town for a 5:00 p.m. match on Saturday, while SEMO will hook up with the Colonels on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Both matches will be played at McBrayer Arena.

"I'm excited about getting into Ohio Valley Conference play," said Eastern head coach Lori Duncan. "We want to be one of the top six teams come November 20, which is the OVC Tournament.

"SEMO is one of the best teams in the league and Eastern Illinois is definitely in the top half, so we have our work cut out for us early. The advantage is that we have them at home."

The Colonels are coming off losses to Western Kentucky Tuesday night and three straight defeats at the West Virginia tournament last weekend. EKU traveled to Bowling Green to take on the Hilltoppers, only to lose in straight sets, 8-15, 1-15, 4-15.

In the West Virginia Tournament, Eastern lost to Towson, 14-16, 11-15, 8-15, James Madison, 2-15, 11-15, 1-15, and West Virginia, 6-15, 5-15, 6-15. With the losses, Eastern dropped to 0-5 on the young season.

"We are very young team," said Duncan. "Our starting rotation currently consists of four freshmen and four sophomores. They have done some great things, but it seems like that for every good thing they do, they do two bone-head things. Over the weekend, we served poorly. We came back and worked hard on our serving, but Tuesday we had trouble passing. It seems like we can put our finger in one hole and block it up, but then another hole opens up."

Duncan is still looking for the right combination that will spark the Colonels on to a victory. Duncan has used sophomore Mary Lee Keranko, from Washington, PA, and freshman Sharon Moreno, a native of Pittsburgh, PA, in the setter's position, trying to find the best fit. Moreno has seen most of the action at setter in the last three games (Western Kentucky, James Madison and West Virginia). Keranko set most of the Towson game, but her ability to attack from the outside makes her as valuable as an outside hitter.

Sophomore outside hitter Courtney Bowen, from Pittsburgh, PA, has been one of the leaders, and go-to players, for coach Duncan. Against Towson, Bowen posted 11 kills, with a hitting percentage of .276. She added six digs and one block assist. In the final match of the weekend tournament, she recorded 11 kills, hitting .229, with nine digs, two serve aces and one block assist. Bowen earned a spot on the WVU All-Tournament team. Tuesday, Bowen added eight kills and seven digs against the Hilltoppers.

"Bowen is carrying our team right now," said Duncan.

Freshman middle blocker Katie Lyon, a native of Kirkwood, MO, in her second collegiate start, posted six block assists versus James Madison. She leads the team with 10 total blocks.
 

CM/cm