CANYON, Texas – West Virginia State (0-2) fought valiantly through all three sets, pushing Central Missouri (1-0) to the brink in each, but ultimately fell short as Central Missouri escaped with a 3-0 win (25-17, 25-22, 27-25). The Yellow Jackets displayed resilience and strong individual performances, keeping the match competitive throughout.

The offense was spread throughout the lineup with Maureen Mathews leading the way with nine kills and Hannah Steele right behind her with eight. Setters Kiersten Eggleton and Emma Pomaret had 15 and 11 helpers, respectively. Libero Ashlynne Davis had 14 digs on the defensive side.

Central Missouri's offense was led by the dual-threat of Maya Ferguson and Emma Siron with 10 kills each.

West Virginia State came out strong in the opening set, showing they could go toe-to-toe with Central Missouri. Steele and Mathews led the attack early, helping the Yellow Jackets stay within striking distance as they kept the score close. At 3-3, Steele hammered a crucial kill, and Mathews contributed with a timely block that rattled Central Missouri. Despite these strong efforts, a series of unforced errors and Central Missouri's lucky breaks, including a string of service aces by Emma Wheeler, allowed the Mules to pull ahead late. Even as West Virginia State clawed back with a late surge, Central Missouri closed the set 25-17.

The second set saw West Virginia State playing with renewed determination, as they quickly erased an early 3-0 deficit. Hannah Steele's offensive power shone again, as she and Mathews chipped away at Central Missouri's lead. Defensive strength, led by Valencia Wilder and Mathews, forced Central Missouri into errors, and Kennedy Stewart's back-to-back service aces swung the momentum in favor of the Yellow Jackets.
West Virginia State held an 18-14 lead at one point, looking poised to even the match, but Central Missouri managed to capitalize on a few late errors by the Yellow Jackets. Despite a gutsy performance, the Mules eked out a 25-22 win in the second set.

In the third set, West Virginia State showed their heart, pushing Central Missouri to the absolute limit. The Yellow Jackets found themselves down early once again, but this time their response was even more impressive. Kennedy Stewart and Wilder's blocking efforts shut down Central Missouri's attack, while Alyssa Hill and Mathews came alive offensively. By the middle of the set, West Virginia State tied things up at 7-7 after a solo block from Wilder and kept it close throughout. The turning point came when West Virginia State surged ahead to an 18-15 lead, driven by Moleni's kills and a string of defensive plays that left Central Missouri scrambling. With the score at 22-18, it looked as though West Virginia State was poised to extend the match to a fourth set. However, Central Missouri clawed their way back, benefiting from a couple of errors and timely kills. In a dramatic and tense finish, the Mules managed to tie the set at 24-24. Despite West Virginia State's best efforts, Central Missouri edged them out 27-25, sealing the match in straight sets.

West Virginia State will play their final matches of the BritKare Lady Buff Classic on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 10:00 am eastern daylight time against Ferris State and at 4:00 pm eastern daylight time against host West Texas A&M.