INSTITUTE, W.VA. – Riding momentum from a five-set thrilling upset over perennial league powerhouse Wheeling, West Virginia State Volleyball enters the week with a 20-3 ledger and continues to lead the South Division as the season, and Mountain East Conference play, stretches on.

THE SCOOP ON STATE
The Yellow Jackets' snapped a 13-match win streak last week, suffering in a five-set loss to North Division foe West Liberty. Despite the loss, State rebounded for an explosive win at home over Wheeling later in the week in front of perhaps their biggest crowd of the season.  

WVSU carries an 8-1 record in league play. The five sets given up last week were the first done so by State during MEC action, and the Yellow Jackets have surrendered just 13 sets all season.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK PLAUDITS
Senior Jenna Dufresne was tabbed MEC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season. In her two league matches on the week, she tallied 43 kills with nine total blocks and 24 digs.

Sophomore Natalie Beer earned the first weekly honor of her career, garnering MEC Defensive Player of the Week after 19 total blocks through the 10 conference sets, including a career-high 11 against Wheeling.

Beer is the third Yellow Jacket to win a weekly award this fall, and the second to take home the defensive crown as she joins senior Grace Martin, who claimed the title earlier this season.

NATIONALLY RANKED
Dufresne boasts 308 total kills on the season, a statistic she ranks 17^th in the country in for Division II squads. Her 4.53 kills per set is fourth nationally, and she ranks sixth with 4.92 points per set.

Also joining the national ranks is Martin, whose 98 total blocks ranks her sixth.

As a team, the Yellow Jackets .277 hitting percentage is sixth-best in the country.

SCOUTING CONCORD
The Mountain Lions enter the week at 5-13 and 1-8 in the MEC, their lone win coming in a sweep against Glenville. The squad is led by freshman outside Hannah Steele with 228 kills. Steele is coming off a historic night in Concord's loss to Frostburg State last week, where she achieved the first 20-20 match of her career.

On the net game, junior Amber Hall tops the team with 52 blocks.

Last meeting: State swept Concord earlier this season at home, led by Dufresne's 15 kills. Hall led Concord with nine.

SCOUTING FAIRMONT STATE
The Fighting Falcons come into the week at 17-6 and 7-2 clips, but face Wheeling Tuesday before hosting State. Fairmont State has won nine straight sets on a three-match win streak, and is led by senior outside Julia DiPaola with 217 kills. The squad boasts five total players with 100 kills or more, and sophomore middle blocker leads the team with 64 total rejections.

Last meeting: Due to COVID-19 schedule restrictions, Fairmont State and WVSU have not faced since 2019, a 3-1 victory for the Yellow Jackets.

SCOUTING FROSTBURG STATE
After going winless a year ago, the Bobcats carry a record of 6-15 overall and are 3-6 in the MEC. Prior to hosting State, they'll face Alderson Broaddus Tuesday and Charleston Friday. Frostburg won both of their matches last week, sweeping Glenville and outlasting Concord 3-2. Sophomore Beverly Braun leads the team offensively with a strong 280 kills. Braun has tallied double-digit kills in six of her last seven matches, and 15 or more in four of the last six.

Freshman AJ Thompson boasts a team-best 49 blocks.

Last meeting: State and Frostburg have also not faced since 2019, when the Yellow Jackets hosted the Bobcats and defeated them in straight sets.

WAYS TO WATCH
All three matches will be available via live stats and streaming on mountaineast.tv

UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets will split the first week of November, hosting Glenville State on Tuesday before traveling north once more to face West Virginia Wesleyan on Friday.