INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State split Saturday's doubleheader at the Walker Convocation Center, falling 3–0 to PSAC foe East Stroudsburg in the afternoon before bouncing back with a 3–0 sweep of Kentucky Wesleyan in the nightcap. 

Post-Match Records
WVSU: 3-4, 0-0 MEC
ESU: 6-2, 0-0 PSAC
KWU: 1-6, 0-0 GMAC

Match 1: WVSU 0, ESU 3

The opener stayed within arm's reach until late serving and first-ball sideout work nudged East Stroudsburg in front for good. The Warriors produced four aces and four block points in the set and hit .098 (14–10–41), using a mid-set serving stretch to create separation at 15–9. State answered with sideouts and timely swings from Alyssa Hill and Nicole Gartner Custodio to close within 22, but ESU sided out and closed it 25–22. The Jackets posted 11 kills on .189 (11–4–37) in the frame.

The second set turned in the middle third after State's 4–0 start. East Stroudsburg steadied and then flipped the scoreboard with a sustained run highlighted by first-ball kills and two late aces from setter Kata Kovacs. The Warriors' efficiency proved decisive, hitting .289 with 16 kills and only three errors (16–3–45) to take it 25–19 despite 12 State kills in the stanza. The Jackets were limited to .130 (12–6–46) in the set.

The third was the tightest, featuring 14 ties and six lead changes. State pushed to 21–22 after a late surge, but East Stroudsburg's closing stretch was the difference: the Warriors hit .245 with just one attack error (13–1–49) and used two late blocks to finish 25–21. State tallied 16 kills on .151 (16–8–53) in the frame.

West Virginia State's leaders included Hill with 10 kills (.194). Custodio added seven kills, including a highlight "return to sender" slam off an East Stroudsburg overpass, on .429 and a team-best five total blocks (one solo, four assists). Inka Oksanen supplied nine kills (.240) and two block assists. Emma Pomaret handed out 27 assists with 11 digs and an ace, Carmen Pérez paced the back row with 12 digs, and Giatta Iquinto contributed four kills, eight digs and an ace. Sydney Shamblin added four kills off the bench.

State established rhythm in the first set with 17 kills on .250 and closed on a statement run. After the Panthers surged to a 14–9 edge, the Jackets fought back to level at 18–18, then ripped off a 7–0 finishing burst on Perez's serve to win it 25–18. The closing stretch featured two Custodio kills, three KWC attack errors and the set-clinching block touch by Custodio, underscoring State's control at the net (3 block points in the frame).

The second set was State's sharpest, a model of efficiency at .577 (17–2–26). A mid-set 6–1 push opened the gap, highlighted by an Eva Sullivan service ace, a Custodio termination in the middle and a combo block with Oksanen. The Jackets then slammed the door with a 4–0 finish from 21–14, capped by an Iquinto ace between kills from Oksanen and Baylee Smith, to take it 25–14.

The third set began with a 0–4 hole, but State erased it quickly and took command late behind the service line. Smith strung together three aces in a dominant late stretch — with a Custodio kill mixed in — as the Jackets turned a 13–13 tie into a 19–13 lead. From there, Hill added a kill, the block collected two more points, and Perez tagged an ace to bring up set point before a KWC attack error ended it, 25–15. State hit .313 (12–2–32) in the frame with four aces and three block points.

West Virginia State's balanced attack produced 46 kills on a .357 hitting percentage, supported by 40 assists, 41 digs, seven aces and seven team blocks. Alyssa Hill led the way with 10 kills on a .273 clip and added two block assists, while Inka Oksanen matched her with 10 kills at a .421 rate and chipped in two block assists of her own. Nicole Gartner Custodio turned in one of the most impactful performances at the net, finishing with nine kills at .333 and a match-high seven total blocks, including three solos. Setter Emma Pomaret orchestrated the offense with 38 assists, while contributing eight digs and three kills of her own on a .429 percentage. Libero Lilly Adkins anchored the defense with 12 digs.