WHEELING, W.Va. -- West Virginia dropped a straight set match against the Gannon Golden Knights on Saturday afternoon then rallied against Shippensburg following a seemingly insurmountable 2-0 deficit before falling in the deciding set. The Yellow Jackets fall to 5-8 overall in their final non-conference matches of the season. Gannon improved to 7-4 while Shippensburg improved to 3-8.

Match 1: Gannon 3, West Virginia State 0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-14)

WVSU had a slow start in the opening set, with Gannon quickly establishing a 4-0 lead, capitalizing on service and attack errors by the Yellow Jackets. Hannah Steele provided a spark with a few early kills, but Gannon maintained control throughout the set with key kills from Ali Sorenson and Carissa Treser. WVSU managed to close the gap to 16-9 after a series of Gannon errors, but the Golden Knights pulled away to take the set 25-17.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with WVSU struggling to keep pace with Gannon's efficient offense. The Yellow Jackets' attack errors piled up, allowing Gannon to build an early lead. Alyssa Hill made a notable impact for WVSU with a team-best hitting percentage of .700, but Gannon's superior blocking and serving, including multiple aces, kept the Yellow Jackets from mounting any significant rallies. Gannon took the set 25-14, fueled by a .379 hitting percentage.

In the third set, Gannon again surged ahead with a commanding performance, taking a 10-3 lead early on. Despite kills from Steele and Hill, WVSU couldn't match Gannon's firepower or defensive pressure. Gannon closed out the match with a 25-14 win, holding the Yellow Jackets to a .029 hitting percentage for the set. Sorenson and Hailey Koch led Gannon's offense, helping them seal the sweep.

Hannah Steele led the Yellow Jackets with 9 kills and 6 digs, while Alyssa Hill contributed 7 kills on 10 attempts, hitting an impressive .700. Setter Kiersten Eggleton provided 20 assists and 3 digs, while libero Morgan Caba anchored the defense with 13 digs. Despite the effort, WVSU was unable to overcome Gannon's dominant performance.

Match 2: Shippensburg 3, West Virginia State 2 (25-22, 26-24, 20-25, 15-25, 15-10)

WVSU started strong, trading points early with Shippensburg, with both teams showing solid defense. Hannah Steele and Alyssa Hill led the Yellow Jackets' attack, while Shippensburg's Emily Gardner countered with several key kills. The set remained tight throughout, with Shippensburg taking advantage of a few late errors by WVSU to edge out a 25-22 win.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with both teams battling point for point. WVSU had six attempts at set point while leading 24-19, but Shippensburg clinched the set 26-24 after a 7-0 run with two service aces by Shippensburg's Kearstin Davis to stun the Yellow Jackets.

Down two sets, WVSU responded with a strong showing in the third set. Mathews and Steele were dominant at the net, while libero Morgan Caba anchored the defense with timely digs. The Yellow Jackets went on a decisive 7-2 run to stave off the sweep, 25-20.

WVSU carried their momentum into the fourth set, dominating from the start. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to an early 11-4 lead, thanks to in no small part to seven attack errors by Shippensburg during the stretch. Shippensburg continued to struggle with errors, allowing WVSU to maintain control and take the set 25-15, forcing a fifth and final set.

In the decisive fifth set, WVSU and Shippensburg remained close early, tied at 8-8. However, Shippensburg went on a 5-1 run, with Gardner and Davis leading the charge. Despite a late push from WVSU, Shippensburg sealed the match with a 15-10 win, capitalizing on a couple of key WVSU errors.

Hannah Steele led WVSU with 15 kills, hitting .333, and contributed 14 digs. Maureen Mathews added 17 kills and 6 digs, while Alyssa Hill chipped in with 7 kills and 5 blocks. Setter Kiersten Eggleton had an outstanding performance, tallying 40 assists, 9 digs, and 2 blocks. Morgan Caba anchored the defense with a team-high 24 digs, while Nicole Custodio added 7 blocks.

WVSU returns to the Alma Grace McDonough Center in Wheeling to begin their Mountain East slate on Friday, Sept. 27 for a rematch of last season's MEC Championship match. First serve against the Wheeling Cardinals is scheduled for 7 p.m.