CONCORD, W.VA. – West Virginia State Volleyball cruised to victory Tuesday at the Carter Center Gym #2, sweeping Mountain East Conference opponent Concord (25-18, 25-13, 25-13) on their home court.

State moves to 21-3 on the year and 9-1 in league play, and has now earned sweeps in seven of their nine conference matches.

Senior Gabrielle Bullock led the squad offensively with eight kills, while sophomore Kiersten Eggleton added seven. Bullock hit at a .353 clip, while Eggleton was at a .389 percentage. Veterans Grace Martin and J'Lana Stone were also highly efficient, hitting at .462 and .556 respectively, each adding six kills. Current MEC Offensive Player of the Week Jenna Dufresne added seven.

Martin posted a team-high five blocks, and junior Rachelle Madison recorded eight digs.

The Yellow Jackets started the opening stanza with force, picking up the first four points of the set after an Alex Darby service ace and kills from the veterans of Bullock and Grace Martin. The Mountain Lions responded with four consecutive points of their own to even the score at 4-4.

State pulled away going on a 12-2 run in a sequence that featured back-to-back service aces from Martin and a solo rejection from Stone, to build a heavy 18-9 lead.

Concord threatened late in the set, using a 3-0 and 4-0 rally late to cut the deficit to 24-18 and threaten before a solo block from Martin- a statistic she leads the league and ranks nationally in- to seal the set 25-18 and give State the 1-0 match advantage.

The Yellow Jackets continued to control the match, registering four of the first six points of the second frame. A four-point rally that included two blocks from Martin and company put WVSU ahead 8-3, and then another 4-0 run that featured kills from sophomore Natalie Beer, Bullock and Eggleton to give State a 14-5 cushion.

The Yellow Jackets controlled the tempo for the remainder of the set, reaching set point on yet another 4-0 rally, this one highlighting freshman Ashlynne Davis and back-to-back service aces. An Eggleton kill delivered a 25-13 score and set up State as one frame away from victory.

Tied at 5-5 in Set 3, the Yellow Jackets rode an impressive 14-2 run, including seven straight points, to create a strong advantage at 19-7. A Mountain Lion miscue set WVSU up with match point at 24-11, and another finale slam from Martin handed State the sweep after a 25-13 third frame.  

UP NEXT
State continues their road trip, heading north to face Fairmont State Friday for a 7 p.m. first serve, and then will face Frostburg State Saturday at 1 p.m.