RICHMOND, Ky. — EKU volleyball is making its case as one of the top mid-major programs in the country, with the Colonels riding an 11-match win streak into a Thursday night road contest. The beating heart of the squad? One of the best-kept secrets in the sport.
"I think I tested us a little bit in scheduling in the preseason and scheduling tougher teams," head coach Johnna Bazzani told LEX Sports' Noah Cierzan. "To be the best, you have to beat the best and that's exactly what we did. And I think we are just so consistent right now."
That risk, scheduling five matches against teams that finished last season in the top-50 and three teams that went to the NCAA Tournament, and that consistency, EKU has finished three-straight seasons with 20 wins or more for the first time in two decades, has EKU in the national conversation.
Setter @emileehill05 talks about the win over Austin Peay and getting the middle blockers involved.#RISE pic.twitter.com/QfqvRcIto4
— EKU Volleyball (@EKUVolleyball) October 7, 2026
The Colonels are 16-2 on the season, 6-0 in the United Athletic Conference and 8-0 in their home gym, Baptist Health Arena.
The team climbed nine spots to a program-best No. 46 in this week's RPI ranking, placing the Colonels in the top-50 of the 348 NCAA Division I volleyball programs, ahead of programs including Mississippi State, Cincinnati, Auburn, LSU, Duke, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Notre Dame.
At the heart of the team is one of the most-versatile setters in the country, senior Emilee Hill.
"I always tell people I'm a setter first. That's my main priority, and I'm lucky enough that I get to start setting for the first rotation, and then I'll switch to hitting," Hill told Cierzan. "I feel like I have a better view on it than maybe the outsides would because I can do both and I can see both sides."
Hill's elasticity on the court helped her win the ASUN Player of the Year award last season. The university switched conferences this summer, to the United Athletic Conference, but Hill's recognition stayed the same. Her return to Richmond meant more preseason nods, including the league's preseason player of the year prediction.
So far this season, Hill is leading the team in assists and is second on the squad in kills. She leads the NCAA with five triple-double performances this season, and 20 throughout her career.
"It's just such a unique team sport because everybody's job relies on somebody else's," Hill said. "You can be a great individual player, but you still have to be good for your teammates and they have to be good for you in order to work as a well-oiled machine."
As Hill's game has grown, the program has been right with her. Today, the Colonels are continuing to chase a conference title with a road match at West Georgia, but EKU will return to Baptist Health Arena to host Abilene Christian this Saturday at noon for senior day.
"You might not look at us and be like, oh they're as big as Kentucky, but we can play just right up there with them," Hill said. "We're just a really-solid team, and I would love for people to come out and support us."
The Colonels look to extend the 11-match winning streak Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+
