INSTITUTE, W.VA. – West Virginia State Volleyball moved back into the win column Wednesday in their home opener, sweeping Kentucky State by scores of 25-12, 25-9, 25-13.

The Yellow Jackets improve to 3-1 on the young season, while the Thorobreds slip to 1-4.

State exhibited a strong, versatile roster as 24 Yellow Jackets appeared in at least one set during the match. "It was rewarding to get to see every player in uniform get to play tonight," head coach Kris Kern said. "They all work so hard in practice so it was great to see that hard work in a game setting."
 
The junior trio of Kiersten Eggleton, Diamond'Nique Young, and Jacklyn Simms guided the squad offensively, with each tallying a hitting percentage of .500 or better. Young led the way with eight kills and added three blocks. Eggleton and freshman Bethany Ledford each posted four service aces in the contest, and Eggleton dished out a match-high 18 assists.

After starting the opening stanza in a game of cat-and-mouse, State broke away at the 9-9 stalemate, using a trio of 5-0 runs to take control and build a commanding lead through the first set. The 1-0 match lead was secured after Ledford delivered back-to-back aces to finish the set at a 25-12 mark. The squad tallied seven aces in the first frame alone. They finished the match with 11 total.

The Yellow Jackets continued with momentum, riding an 8-0 rally in the early stages of Set 2 to build a strong advantage at 11-4. After five consecutive points, including a pair of slams from Simms, WVSU continued to widen the gap with a 10-point lead at 18-8. State maintained the energy, registering seven unanswered points to finish the frame 25-9. It was the first time on the young season the Yellow Jackets have held their opponent to single digits.

Freshman Sydney Smith recorded a pair of kills in the early stages of what was ultimately the final frame, the first statistics of her collegiate career, to boost State early 6-1. In another rally a few points later, WVSU tallied six consecutive points, including back-to-back blocks from Young, one solo, to push the Yellow Jackets to a 13-4 lead.

After another run for State, this one 4-0, the two teams began trading points. State secured the match after recording the final three points of the match; a kill by Eggleton, a slam by freshman Eva Sullivan (the first of her career), and an ace by Kendall Stickler to complete the contest.

UP NEXT
State will head back on the road this weekend, traveling to Ettrick, Va., for the Virginia State Invitational. WVSU will face Shippensburg and hosts VSU Friday, and will conclude the weekend with Chowan and Elizabeth City State on Saturday.