INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- West Virginia State University continued their strong season with a 3-1 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan College in Mountain East Conference play, improving to 19-9 overall and 13-1 in conference action. The Yellow Jackets displayed a balanced effort, using a powerful attack and consistent serving to take down the Bobcats, who dropped to 14-14 overall and 4-10 in the MEC.

Baby Moleni led WVSU with 13 kills on a .476 hitting percentage and added four blocks. Hannah Steele contributed 12 kills, a .367 hitting percentage, and 13 digs, while Valencia Wilder chipped in with 11 kills and a match-high eight blocks. Setter Kiersten Eggleton orchestrated the offense with 44 assists, along with three kills and five digs. Ashlynne Davis had a standout performance at the service line with six aces and also recorded 13 digs, while libero Morgan Caba tallied 19 digs and four aces.

For WVWC, Alauna Wilson paced the offense with 12 kills on a .235 hitting percentage, while Emily Denison added seven kills and 15 digs. Brooke Axe contributed six kills and four blocks, and Alexis Moeschler anchored the back row with 18 digs.

Statistically, WVSU finished with 53 kills, 13 aces, and 14 blocks while hitting .259 as a team. WVWC managed 39 kills, three aces, and five blocks, hitting .079.

WVSU dominated the opening set, hitting .302 with 16 kills while holding WVWC to a .027 hitting percentage. Baby Moleni led the charge with efficient attacks, and the defense contributed five total blocks to stifle the Bobcats in a 25-14 win. The second set mirrored the first, as the Yellow Jackets maintained control with a .360 hitting percentage and five service aces, including two from Ashlynne Davis. WVSU limited WVWC to a .000 hitting percentage in another 25-14 victory.

The third set was the most competitive of the night, featuring 12 ties and seven lead changes. WVWC fought back, hitting .225 as a team, with key contributions from Alauna Wilson and Emily Denison. Despite a strong effort from the Yellow Jackets, the Bobcats edged them 27-25 in extra points. In the fourth set, WVSU regrouped to close out the match with a 25-18 win. The Yellow Jackets used a combination of blocks, kills from Hannah Steele and Maureen Mathews, and timely aces from Davis to secure the victory while holding WVWC to a .028 hitting percentage.

The Yellow Jackets will look to carry their momentum into their next match against the University of Charleston on Friday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wherle Innovation Center on the UC campus. In all likelihood, the winner of the UC-WVSU match on Friday will determine who hosts the Mountain East Conference Tournament.