INSTITUTE, W.VA. -- West Virginia State Volleyball remained perfect in conference play Friday, sweeping West Virginia Wesleyan at the Walker Convocation Center by scores of 25-14, 25-19, 25-18.
The Yellow Jackets have yet to drop a set in Mountain East Conference action, moving to 4-0 in the league and 15-2 overall.
The team honored its nine graduating members prior to first serve, a move head coach Kris Kern says was big for the atmosphere Friday.
"A couple times in the match, I caught myself just watching them," Kern said. "I remember when they came in, and sometimes went behind the ears and just weren't college volleyball players yet, and now you just see them out there, and they're really good. Every single one of them."
"We got extended minutes for every senior…," Kern continued. "Annie Fox came in and got a block and two attacks. Brookelyn Walker had two or three service points. The other kids play all the time, and those two haven't gotten to play a lot but they're just as important to our success because of the looks they give us in practice. But yes, during the match, I caught myself watching and admiring… tonight, we could have played a high school team or an Olympic team, but we were going to win. Our seniors willed us to win."
Senior Jenna Dufresne again topped the offense, posting 15 kills on an incredible .577 hitting efficiency. Classmate Grace Martin posted six slams on a .500 clip with six blocks, including two solo rejections.
The opening stanza started as a back-and-forth affair, until State used a sequence of 3-0 runs to build a lead and gain momentum. Three straight points at the 12-10 mark supplied a WVSU five-point lead at 15-10, and then three consecutive errors from the Bobcats added more cushion for the Yellow Jackets, putting them up 19-12. The next three-point rally featured a Dufresne kill and then back-to-back blocks from she and sophomore Natalie Beer, pushed State to a nine-point advantage at 22-13. The final 3-0 run was a kill by Beer, WVWC miscue, and block by the veteran duo of Dufresne and Martin, to seal the set at 25-14.
The momentum carried into the second frame for State, who registered six straight points to build a 9-3 lead. Wesleyan began to chip away, coming within one at 12-11 after back-to-back State errors, and then took the lead after a four-point rally at 15-13.
WVSU responded with a 4-0 run of their own, featuring a kill from Martin and classmate Gabrielle Bullock, bookended by Bobcat errors. Wesleyan briefly tied the set before another Martin kill and set of Bobcat errors put State ahead once again at 20-17. WVSU then rode out the set by picking up the final four points, sealing the 2-0 match lead at 25-19 on a kill from sophomore setter Peri Martin.
Wesleyan continued to battle and pressure as the match entered the third frame, picking up three straight points to reach a 6-6 stalemate early. The Yellow Jackets immediately responded, registering four points on a kill by Dufresne, a pair of Bobcat errors, and Fox's block with Beer, to go back up 10-6.
Wesleyan continued to again chip away, keeping the deficit at a two-point margin until three straight slams from Dufresne gave State some cushion at 17-12. Another 3-0 run for the Yellow Jackets continued to add to the lead, featuring back-to-back solo blocks from Grace Martin, widened the gap to 20-13 for State.
The threat from the Bobcats with two pair of points turned out to be null and void, as back-to-back WVWC errors and a Beer/Kiersten Eggleton block put the Yellow Jackets into match point, then securing the victory on a Bullock kill at 25-18.
UP NEXT
State faces three league opponents as they enter Homecoming Week, taking on county rival University of Charleston Tuesday on the road, and then welcoming first-year MEC foe Alderson Broaddus on Thursday and hosting Notre Dame College on Friday. Live streaming and stats will be available.
