Photo: Todd Griffith

Box Score

West Virginia St. WVSt 26-6,14-1 MEC

Clarion Clar 26-6,13-3 PSAC

West Virginia St. WVSt

26-6,14-1 MEC

Final

Nov. 30, 2023

Clarion Clar

26-6,13-3 PSAC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	F
West Virginia St. WVSt	17	21	20	(0)
Clarion Clar	25	25	25	(3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 11/30/2023 2:05:00 PM | Bryan Shepherd, Assistant Sports Information Director

No. 6 WVSU bows out of NCAA Atlantic Regional after sweep by No. 3 Clarion

ERIE, Pa. – The No. 6 West Virginia State Volleyball Team concluded their season on Thursday at the hands of No. 3 Clarion University by a final score of 3-0. WVSU had leads in the second and third set, but Clarion took advantage of untimely WVSU errors.

State ends the season at 26-6. Clarion improves their record to 26-6.

The Yellow Jacket offense was well spread out across the team. Baby Moleni had nine kills while Diamond'Nique Young, Alex Darby, and Valencia Wilder all had seven. Kiersten Eggleton had 27 helpers, 13 digs, and a service ace. Ashlynne Davis led the back line with 15 digs. Natalie Beer contributed four blocks.

WVSU struggled to find their footing in the first set. Clarion got the first point of the match then put together a 5-0 run a few points later, expanding the lead to 8-2 in favor of the Golden Eagles. WVSU took a timeout to regroup then went on a 3-0 run courtesy of a rejection by Valencia Wilder and Young, a rejection by Wilder and Beer and a kill from Darby. A Wilder slam put the Yellow Jackets to within one point later in the set, 16-15, but Clarion closed the set with a 9-2 run, 25-17.

WVSU had their best attack percentage of the match in set one, hitting at a .212 clip. Clarion hit at .378.

The second set was considerably closer with three ties and a lead change in the opening 12 points. A kill from Young put State up 7-6 and started a 5-0 run that forced a Clarion timeout. Wilder contributed a kill and a solo block, and Darby slammed one to the court. Clarion cut into the lead slowly but surely, eventually forcing a WVSU timeout with the Yellow Jackets down 22-20 and on the wrong end of a 6-2 run. Clarion expanded that run to 9-3 and took set two 25-21.

Both teams hit .103 in the set. State had 12 kills and eight errors while Clarion had nine kills and five errors.

State and Clarion see-sawed through the first 20 points of the third set with neither team taking a lead of more than a single point, until WVSU took an 11-9 lead via a Young and Beer rejection. A Moleni slam followed by another block, this time by Beer and Darby put State up 13-10. Clarion slowly clawed their way back and took the lead for good after tying the set up at 15-all. Clarion ended up taking 10 of the final 15 points, ending the season for WVSU in straight sets.

West Virginia State has a lot to be proud of this season. First-year head coach Hillary Hurley earned Mountain East Coach of the Year honors, WVSU won the MEC South Division for the third time in four seasons and hosted the MEC tournament, and earned an NCAA Regional bid for the second time in three years.

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