WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Virginia State split its Saturday matches at the ASRC, pushing Gannon to five sets before rebounding with a steady four-set victory over Shippensburg.

In the opener against Gannon, the Yellow Jackets showed plenty of fight in a back-and-forth match that saw momentum swing several times. Gannon jumped on State early with a 25-12 opening set, but the Jackets answered right back, edging the Knights 25-23 in the second to even the match. Gannon's front line took control in the third, handing State a 25-15 setback, yet the Jackets refused to go away and gutted out another 25-23 win in the fourth to force a decisive fifth. In the tiebreak, Gannon surged late to pull out a 15-7 victory and the match. Perez provided steady two-way play with 10 kills and 13 digs, while Lima da Conceicao added seven kills and 12 digs. Custodio chipped in eight kills and three blocks, with Pomaret and McKeehan combining for 36 assists to pace the attack. Adkins steadied the defense with 15 digs.

The afternoon brought a different story, as the Jackets settled into rhythm against Shippensburg and never lost composure. State opened strong, closing the first set on a late push to take it 25-22. Shippensburg responded with a 25-22 win of its own in the second, capitalizing on a handful of WVSU errors. The third set swung back in favor of the Jackets, who kept their attack efficient in a 25-21 win, before sealing the match in convincing fashion. In set four, State played error-free volleyball on the attack, their cleanest frame of the day, and closed the door 25-21. Lima da Conceicao was outstanding with 14 kills and 16 digs, Perez again balanced both ends of the floor with 10 kills, 16 digs, and three blocks, and Hill provided punch on the outside with 11 kills. Custodio imposed her presence at the net with 11 kills and seven blocks, while setters Pomaret (21 assists) and McKeehan (19 assists) kept the offense smooth. Adkins capped her afternoon with 22 digs to anchor the back row.

With the split, WVSU moved to 5-6 overall. Gannon improved to 6-4 while Shippensburg fell to 6-5. All three teams have yet to play a conference match.

State will begin conference play on Friday, Sept. 26 with a 5:00 p.m. rematch of last season's Mountain East Conference championship when Wheeling visits the Walker Convocation Center.