RICHMOND, Ky. – SIUE volleyball ran its winning streak to five matches Friday with a hard-fought five-set victory over Eastern Kentucky at McBrayer Arena.

In each of the three sets SIUE won, the Cougars had to come from behind, including the decisive fifth set. SIUE, which improved to 15-4 overall and 5-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference, captured the victory 26-24, 14-25, 25-23, 13-25, 15-13.

"I want to make sure that the team itself is recognized for a group effort," said SIUE Acting Head Coach Kendall Paulus.

SIUE produced some exciting moments in the fifth set where led by as many as four points (8-4) early. Eastern Kentucky, which came into the contest with a four-match winning streak as well, would come from behind to take the lead 13-12. Paulus called a time after EKU grabbed the lead. Her words during the timeout were pretty much a reinforcing what she was seeing from her players.

"They had their own sense of urgency," said Paulus. "I was just trying to reiterate it for them."

"I think the game changer is that we came together at the beginning of the fifth set," said SIUE setter Samantha Knight. "That was the most energy we have ever had going into a fifth set."

EKU watched the Cougars closed out the match with three straight points with a kill from Jackie Scott and two EKU attack errors.

The come-from-behind night for the Cougars started in set one. The Cougars trailed 19-12 before Taylor Joens served strong for the Cougars to move SIUE within 19-17. EKU had a set point at 24-23 but three straight points, including two blocks by Joens (one with Ashley Witt and the other with Emily Harrison), gave SIUE the set win.

Once again in the third set, SIUE was down by as many as six points but found a way back in the end. Two unforced EKU errors gave SIUE the set win.

EKU, 7-14 overall and 5-2 in OVC play, roughed up the Cougars in sets two and four.

"On sets two and four, they had some scoring runs on us, and we had a hard time countering," said Paulus.

Joens led the Cougars with 13 kills followed by 11 from Witt. SIUE hit just .107 for the match that included 34 attack errors. Knight said she kept encouraging her hitters to keep pushing.

"I kept reassuring my hitters that I knew they could put the ball down," she said.

Nikki Drost powered the Colonels with 22 kills. EKU hit .183 for the match.

"We were in really long rallies. Both team were out of system a lot and sometimes had to take bad swings," said Paulus. "We served well against them. It doesn't show in service aces, but we worked to get them out of system."

SIUE also got a lift off the bench with four kills from Annie Ellis and three from Gabby Wimes.

"Annie played well and made herself available in transition. Gabby stepped in and did a really good job," said Paulus.

"It was about us keeping our balance and using all of our attackers," said Paulus. "They (EKU) played good defense so we had to make sure we kept moving the ball around. We needed all our attackers so it was important to go from pin to pin."

SIUE next heads to Morehead State for a 1 p.m. CT start Saturday.