Eagles Sweep GATA Challenge Defeating EKU in Five Sets Sunday

Sunday, September 6

Statesboro, Ga.

1 p.m.

Georgia Southern University

3-3,0-0Sun Belt

Eastern Kentucky

4-1,0-0UAC

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Eastern Ky.	18	25	25	21	7	2
Ga. Southern	25	22	22	25	15	3

Eagles Sweep GATA Challenge Defeating EKU in Five Sets Sunday

9/6/2026 4:45:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

STATESBORO, Ga. — Georgia Southern defeated Eastern Ky. 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-7) on Sunday at Hanner Fieldhouse. The Eagles went from an 18-20 deficit to a 24-20 lead in the fourth set, then hit .769 with 10 kills and no errors in the fifth. Four Eagles were named to the GATA Challenge All-Tournament Team, as Reagan Barth earned MVP. Alex Myers, Beka Pfefferkorn, and Kayla Knowles, were all tabbed to the All-Tournament team as Georgia Southern won the tournament title.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- After the Eagles scored the first two points, Eastern Ky. answered with four straight to lead 4-2 and later used a Cooper Abney ace to go up 7-5.
- The Eagles turned a 7-6 deficit into an 11-8 lead, with Lexi Duffy serving an ace, Alex Myers and Sam Bowron teaming on a block, and Reagan Barth putting down two kills during the stretch.
- Kills from Barth and Bowron helped the Eagles move ahead 15-11, and Barth added two more kills during a three-point push that stretched the lead to 21-15.
- A Beka Pfefferkorn and Kayla Knowles block made it 23-17, Reagan Barth added an ace, and Pfefferkorn closed the set with a kill for a 25-18 Eagles win.

Second Set
- Eastern Ky. broke a 3-3 tie with four straight points, but the Eagles worked back behind kills from Alex Myers, Gabby Babinski and Reagan Barth to pull even at 9-9.
- Pfefferkorn gave the Eagles a 12-11 lead with a kill, before Eastern Ky. answered with four straight points to move ahead 15-12.
- Eastern Ky. extended the margin to 22-17, but the Eagles cut the deficit to 24-22 with kills from Sam Bowron and an Eastern Ky. attack error.
- Addison Burke ended the set with a kill as Eastern Ky. took it 25-22.

Third Set
- The Eagles built a 6-1 lead behind kills from Reagan Barth, Sam Bowron and Pfefferkorn before Eastern Ky. answered with five straight points to tie the set at 6-6.
- The Eagles moved back in front 12-11 on a Barth kill, then used kills from Pfefferkorn, Bowron, Gabby Babinski and Barth to carry a 20-17 lead into the closing stretch.
- Eastern Ky. scored four straight points to move ahead 21-20, but Maddie Cugino and Barth answered with consecutive kills to put the Eagles up 22-21.
- Eastern Ky. took the final four points, including an Addison Burke kill and an Audrey Hudson ace, to take the set 25-22.

Fourth Set
- The Eagles built a 6-3 lead behind kills from Sam Bowron, Alex Myers and Pfefferkorn, but Eastern Ky. answered with four straight points to move ahead 7-6.
- Eastern Ky. pushed back in front through the middle of the set, leading 11-8 and later 20-18, while the Eagles pulled even multiple times, including at 15-15, 16-16 and 17-17.
- Reagan Barth started the late response with a kill, then Alex Myers served five straight points as the Eagles moved from a 20-18 deficit to a 24-20 lead with a Barth-Kayla Knowles block and three more Barth kills.
- Eastern Ky. stopped the run once, but the Eagles finished the set 25-21 on a bad set.

Fifth Set
- After Eastern Ky. scored the opening point, the Eagles moved ahead 5-2 behind kills from Alex Myers, Reagan Barth and Pfefferkorn, plus a block by Pfefferkorn and Kayla Knowles.
- Eastern Ky. cut the margin to 5-4, but the Eagles pushed back to 10-6 with Barth adding an ace and Pfefferkorn and Myers recording kills.
- A Sam Bowron kill made it 11-7, and Mayte Camacho served the final four points, including her ace and two Reagan Barth kills, as the Eagles closed the fifth set 15-7.

Reagan Barth led the Eagles with 23 kills and 27.5 points, adding seven digs, four blocks and two service aces. Maddie Cugino collected 24 digs and added five assists. Kayla Knowles posted eight blocks, including one solo block, and added two kills. Lexi Duffy finished with 27 assists, eight digs and one service ace.

Match Notes:
- Team - Achieved a season-high total of 14 blocks in the match.
- Kayla Knowles - Achieved a season-high total of 8 blocks.
- Reagan Barth - Recorded a season-high 23 kills.

QUOTES
After the Eagles' five-set home win over EKU, Chad Willis credited the team's response under pressure, saying, "Really proud of the collective effort tonight, especially with our backs against the wall at home. We talked about at the technical time out in the 4th set that we needed to really dig in and try to match the defensive intensity EKU was showing on their side, I think our squad did a great job coming out of that and setting the tone on that side of the ball. We were able to pull out a tight 4 set there and then rode that wave into the 5th and created early momentum and never look back. To be tested this early with a good team EKU and come out on the other side of it in a 5-set battle, I couldn't be prouder of our group hopefully it's a moment we can stack heading into our second non-con road weekend."

UP NEXT
Up next, the Eagles volleyball team travels to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to face ETSU on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at Varsity Arena.