ATHENS, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University women's volleyball team dropped a 3-1 Mountain East Conference decision at Concord University Tuesday night. Carmen Pérez recorded 12 kills to lead the WVSU attack, while Audrey Buck handed out 25 assists and Lilly Adkins logged a team-high 17 digs.
WVSU falls to 10-11 overall and 6-5 in MEC action, while Concord improves to 16-9 overall and 8-3 in conference play.
The Yellow Jackets took an early 4-2 lead behind three consecutive points, featuring a kill and a service ace from Deniz Akgul. WVSU extended its advantage to 12-7 on an Ahaziah Smith kill to force a Mountain Lions timeout. Concord answered out of the stoppage with a 10-4 run to take a 17-16 lead. A Marcelina Pyka kill sparked a 6-2 WVSU run to bring the Yellow Jackets to set point at 24-20. Concord saved three set points to close within 24-23, but a combined block by Inka Oksanen and Smith sealed the 25-23 set win for WVSU.
Concord grabbed an early 6-3 lead in the second set before a Maya Vilmar kill and a joint block by Oksanen and Pyka trimmed the margin to 6-5. The Mountain Lions responded by scoring six of the next eight points to lead 12-7. Following a two-point WVSU push anchored by a Smith kill, Concord executed an 8-1 run to open up a 20-10 cushion. Gabrielle Elliott and Oksanen delivered consecutive kills, but Concord finished on a 5-3 run to win the set 25-15 and level the match at 1-1.
WVSU held an 8-6 lead in the third set following back-to-back Oksanen kills before Concord responded with seven unanswered points as part of a larger run to build a 16-9 advantage. WVSU stopped the run with three straight points—including two Smith kills and a Buck service ace—to close within 16-12. Concord eventually built a 24-16 lead before a Vilmar kill and a Giatta Iquinto service ace saved consecutive set points, but the Mountain Lions closed out the set 25-18 to take a 2-1 match advantage.
The Yellow Jackets scored the first two points of the fourth set to take an early 4-2 lead before Concord mounted a run to hold a 15-7 advantage into a WVSU timeout. The Concord lead reached 21-14 before WVSU rallied with a 9-3 run—fueled by five kills from Pérez—to trim the deficit to 24-23. Concord secured the match's final point to claim the set 25-23 and secure the 3-1 victory.
WVSU returns home to host West Liberty University on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. The program will recognize its senior class prior to the match.
