The Eastern Kentucky University beach volleyball team will begin play in the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship on April 22 at John Hunt Park. The Colonels are set to open the tournament with a match against No. 3 seed Florida Gulf Coast University at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
This event is significant for Eastern Kentucky, as the team comes into the postseason following its most successful regular season, finishing with a record of 17-11 and setting a new program high for wins in a single year.
Six different Colonels players have recorded at least 17 wins this season. The top pair, Molly Shomock and Riley Cutler, lead with a combined record of 17-11 overall and have posted six conference victories out of eight matches. Their achievements include a notable win over North Florida’s leading duo earlier this year.
Gabriella Armitage and Elpida Pitsigkoni also enter the championship on strong form after going undefeated at the Scenic Showdown tournament. Pitsigkoni is one win away from tying the school’s single-season individual victory record with her current total of nineteen.
Newcomers have contributed significantly as well. Amanda Floystad has taken on an expanded role in her third season, securing fourteen wins from the No. 3 spot after limited appearances previously. Freshmen Sutton Sales and Carlyn Mcallister have also made immediate impacts; Sales is one victory away from matching EKU’s freshman win record while Mcallister has notched sixteen victories so far.
Florida Gulf Coast enters their matchup with an overall record of eighteen wins and fourteen losses, including several games against ranked teams and a noteworthy triumph over fourteenth-ranked Hawaii earlier this season.
The Colonels aim to continue their historic run by seeking only their second-ever victory in ASUN Tournament play.
