LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University volleyball team will finally make a return to Knights Hall after playing the last month on the road. The Knights will open their Atlantic Sun Conference schedule this weekend, hosting Eastern Kentucky and Stetson.

The Knights will first take on Eastern Kentucky on Friday, September 26 at 6 pm E.T. before facing off against Stetson on Sunday, September 28 at 1 pm E.T. Both matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Admission to both matches this weekend will be free to all as Bellarmine celebrates its Family Weekend.

Bellarmine (6-6) concluded its non-conference schedule last weekend with another 2-1 showing, this time at the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational. BU opened the event with a 3-0 sweep of Mercyhurst before falling to Toledo 3-0. In the final match of the weekend, the Knights rallied for a 3-2 victory over the host Mastodons.

Junior Natalie Bland and freshman Abby Julius both turned in impressive weekends, leading to the duo being named to the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational All-Tournament Team. For Bland, the accolade is her first of the year while Julius earned her second All-Tournament nod in as many weeks. Bland turned in a team-best 43 kills, good for 3.73 per set, while tallying 23 digs, five assists, four blocks and two aces. She registered double-digit kills in all three matches, including a season-high tying 18 against Purdue Fort Wayne. Julius ranked second on the team with 32 kills, good for 2.91 per set. She also racked up 13 aces, 1.18 per set, with 17 digs and two blocks. Against Mercyhurst, Julius recorded nine service aces, tied for the third most in a single match in program history.

Multiple Knights rank among the Top 10 in the ASUN. Bland ranks fourth in both kills per set (3.42) and points per set (3.80). Senior Kylie Van Hoy is third in the league in assists per set with 8.53. Sophomore Payton Parsons ranks fifth in digs per set with 3.91 on the year. Julius rounds out the group as the leader in the ASUN in aces per set with 0.58. As a team, Bellarmine if fifth in the league with 1.73 aces per set.

The Knights' 6-6 start is their best heading into conference play since head coach Rick Nold's debut season in 2022 when they also started 6-6. In five seasons in the ASUN, Bellarmine is 1-4 in its conference opener, earning its first win last year in 3-0 fashion over Austin Peay. Despite the record, BU is very competitive in the ASUN opener with three of its five matches going a full five sets.

About the Colonels

• Eastern Kentucky is off to an 8-4 start to its season. Last weekend, the Colonels dropped a home contest against Cincinnati 3-1 before beating Ball State on the road 3-2. In the ASUN's Preseason Coaches' Poll, EKU was picked to finish third in the league after a fourth-place finish in 2024.
• The Colonels duo of freshman Addison Burke and senior AG Hynes lead the offensive effort this season, turning in 152 and 151 kills, respectively. Burke is also third on the team with 113 digs while Hynes is third hitting .362. EKU has two setters with 200+ assists in junior Emilee Hill and Cooper Abney. Hill leads with 305 assists with Abney adding 229 helpers. Defensively, Preseason All-ASUN selection Carson Ledford leads a stout blocking unit with 40.0 blocks on the year. The senior is also second in hitting with a .372 clip and fifth in kills with 89. Sophomore Caitlyn Flees is second on the team with 38.0 blocks while Hynes rounds out the group with 30.0 on the year. In the digs department, freshman Cassidy Trahan leads the team with 198 digs, good for 4.13 per set. Hill is next with 171 digs, 3.49 per set. In the ASUN, Ledford ranks fourth in hitting percentage while Hynes is fifth. Hynes also ranks seventh in kills per ser (3.08) and eighth in points per set (3.41). As a team, EKU leads the ASUN in hitting percentage (.265), kills (13.65 per set) and assists (13.12 per set) and ranks second in the league in points (17.02 per set), opponent hitting percentage (.202) and digs (15.27 per set).
• Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky have met 13 times previously with the Colonels holding a 10-3 advantage in the all-time series. EKU has won each of the last four meetings. The Knights last defeated EKU on October 23, 2022 (3-1 in Knights Hall).

About the Hatters

• Stetson is 4-8 to begin its 2025 campaign. The Hatters enter the weekend off a 1-2 showing at the Owls Paradise Classic where the topped Bethune-Cookman 3-1 before falling to Florida Atlantic 3-0 and George Washington 3-1. In the ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll, Stetson was picked to finish 10^th after an 11^th place finish a year ago.
• Offensively, Stetson features two players with 100+ kills in sophomore Zuzanna Bury and freshman Xinlei Yang. Bury is the Hatters' top hitter with 172 kills with Yang turning in 117 and a .316 hitting percentage. Reigning ASUN Setter of the Week Nyah Molina has tallied 383 assists on the year, 8.15 per set. At the net, junior Kayla Balfour has recorded 47.0 blocks with Yang notching 32.0. Molina leads the team in the digs department with 173 with junior Vitoria Stedile following behind with 159. In the ASUN, Bury is second in the league in kills per set (3.66) while Yang ranks ninth in the league in hitting percentage. Molina is fourth in assists per set and seventh in digs per set (3.68) while Stedile is ninth in digs per set (3.46). As a team, the Hatters are third in the ASUN in blocks per set (2.19) and fourth in digs per set (14.70).
• Bellarmine and Stetson have met four times previously with the Hatters holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. In their last meeting on October 13, 2024, the Knights came away with their first win over the Hatters with a 3-0 sweep. In the three prior matchups, Stetson defeated Bellarmine in 3-0 fashion.

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