INSTITUTE, W.Va. – In their second consecutive Mountain East Conference Semifinal, West Virginia State University's volleyball team fell shy of the finals, falling 3-1 to nationally-ranked No. 19 Wheeling Friday in the Walker Center by scores of 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 25-14.

Led with double-digit kills from a quartet of juniors in Jenna Dufresne (15), J'Lana Stone (13), Gabrielle Bullock (11) and Gabrielle Thompson (10), the Yellow Jackets exploded in the opening stanza, securing the first six points of the contest with commanding fashion.

Thompson delivered a season-best performance, posting nine blocks and 10 kills. 

Freshman Peri Martin dished out 46 assists. 

"Very proud of the steps we've taken in four short years," Head Coach Kris Kern said. "We went toe-to-toe with seven-time defending champions.

"Our effort, energy, and passion is heartwarming and with our entire roster eligible to return, I'd think the Yellow Jackets will be in the mix again."

After their 6-0 run to open up the match, Wheeling quickly narrowed the gap, registering five of the next six points to make it 7-5. Earning four unanswered points put the Cardinals ahead 10-9 and they remained in control until later in the frame, when WVSU again used a six-point rally, including a pair of blocks and kill from Stone, to take the lead and build some cushion at 21-17.

A kill from Thompson, followed by a rejection from she and Dufresne, kept the Yellow Jackets on top 23-23-18, and a kill from Dufresne sealed the set, handing WVSU the 25-21 set and match lead.

Another early rally put the Yellow Jackets up early in Set 2 as they used four consecutive blocks (including three from Thompson) to tally a 5-0 run and build an early 7-4 advantage.

Wheeling then responded with a five unanswered of their own to switch momentum in their favor at 11-9. It was a game of runs in the second frame, as WVSU regained control once more on a 4-0 run, and then once again the Cardinals played copycat with four of their own to build a slight advantage 16-14.

Libero Alex Darby then served the Yellow Jackets to six straight points, aided by another two slams from Stone, a kill each from Thompson and Dufresne, and a rejection from the duo of Thompson and Stone, to lead 20-16.
Wheeling used five kills and a WVSU miscue to then take the lead and steal the set 25-23 and even the match at one set apiece.

Set 3 was a back-and-forth affair, tied as late as 22-22.  A Bullock kill put the Yellow Jackets ahead, before Wheeling tallied the final three points to take the match lead with a 25-23 result.

The Cardinals carried the momentum into what was ultimately the final frame, putting themselves up 15-7 before WVSU began to trim the deficit, registering five straight points that featured two Dufresne service aces to narrow things to 16-12.

Wheeling secured eight of the final 10 points to take the set 25-14 and advance to the MEC Championship, slated for Saturday in the Walker Center.