JACKSON, Tenn. – The West Virginia State University volleyball team was upset 3-0 by Quincy in its first match of the Union University Classic, but claimed redemption in its second match of the day by pulling off a 3-2 comeback victory. The Yellow Jackets were down 2-1 versus Alabama-Huntsville and, with their backs against the wall, managed to win the fourth set 30-28 and the fifth set 15-13 to complete the comeback.
WVSU moves to 4-7 overall with the win and the loss. The Hawks of Quincy University improved to 3-7 after their win, while the Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville dropped to 7-3 following their loss.
Match 1 (West Virginia State vs. Quincy)
West Virginia State came out flat against Quincy in the opening set, losing it 25-14. The second and third sets were much closer with QU coming out on top by a final score of 25-22 in both. In the second set, the Yellow Jackets were tied with the Hawks at 21 all before conceding. In the third set, WVSU sprung to an 8-2 lead before the momentum shifted in favor of Quincy.
Junior libero Devon Putnam recorded a match-high 13 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Gabrielle Bullock posted a team-high nine kills, while junior setter Ashton Barr led the Yellow Jackets in assists with 14.
Quincy registered a .317 hitting percentage in the match, compared to a .124 hitting percentage by West Virginia State.
Match 2 (West Virginia State vs. Alabama-Huntsville)
After dropping three straight sets to Quincy, West Virginia State looked poised to turn things around with a 25-20 win in the first set against Alabama-Huntsville. The confidence boost from winning the first set was immediately erased, however, when the Chargers took the second set 25-12. The third set went 25-17 in favor of UAH and, in a sport where momentum is everything, WVSU seemed out of the match at the moment.
The fourth set started off well for the Yellow Jackets, going up 21-15 to create a sizeable gap between them and their opponents. The Chargers fought back and scored six unanswered points to tie the set at 21-21. A kill by sophomore middle blocker Gabrielle Thompson made 25 points for WVSU, but it was not enough to claim the set by a two-point margin. Down 28-27, West Virginia State scored three-in-a-row to take the match to a fifth set.
The final set put both squads on trial to determine the ultimate winner. Three- and four-point swings in momentum were traded back-and-forth by each team. The shifts in momentum left the score tied at 13 all. Sophomore outside hitter Jenna Dufresne then rose up for two consecutive kills to put the match to bed once and for all.
Dufresne led all players in the match with a season-high 26 kills and a season-high 29 points. Her 12 digs in the contest was a new career-high. Thompson also impressed with 10 kills to go along with a .389 hitting percentage.
The Yellow Jackets made fewer errors than the Chargers and tallied more blocks.
At the conclusion of the thrilling comeback victory, Head Coach Kris Kern gave his sentiments:
"It was an emotional rollercoaster the whole match and when the ride stopped...we found ourselves in the front seat. This was a very rewarding win for our program against a high-level opponent."
West Virginia State plays again tomorrow at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. against Missouri-St. Louis and Union (Tenn.) respectively.
