West Virginia State University Athletics

INSTITUTE -- The West Virginia State University women's volleyball team battled throughout Tuesday night's Mountain East Conference match against the University of Charleston, but fell 3-1.

The Yellow Jackets are now 7-9 on the season, with a 3-3 record in MEC action. The Golden Eagles improve to 10-9, with a 3-3 conference record.

UC opened the match on a 9-3 scoring run eventually taking an 18-6 lead before a Daneya Morgan kill. After the UC lead reached 21-9, WVSU scored seven of the next eight points, including three kills from Deniz Akgul, though the Golden Eagles scored the final three points to win the set, 25-15.

The Yellow Jackets used a scoring run of five straight points to take an early 9-4 lead, eventually stretching the lead to 15-9 thanks in part to a Carmen Perez kill. The Golden Eagles rallied to within 22-16, but the Yellow Jackets closed the set on a 4-1 scoring run, with Ahaziah Smith, Akgul and Perez all getting kills to end the set 25-17, evening the match at one. 

UC started the third set on a 5-1 scoring run before a pair of Golden Eagles errors brought WVSU to within 5-3. After UC stretched their lead to 10-4, WVSU scored four straight points, including a kill by Audrey Buck and a combined block by Morgan and Marcelina Pyka to make it 10-8. The Golden Eagles then took a 15-12 lead into the break, WVSU came out on a 4-1 scoring run, including an ace by Perez and a pair of Akgul kills. After WVSU tied the score at 20, UC closed the set on a 5-2 run, taking the set win and taking a 2-0 match lead. 

The Golden Eagles took a 14-8 lead in the fourth set, before WVSU scored four of the next five points, pulling to within 15-12. The Yellow Jackets continued to battle, tying the set at 21 on a block by Inka Oksanen and Ahaziah Smith. WVSU had five chances at set point, but the Golden Eagles finished the set on a 3-0 scoring run, winning 30-28 and taking the match, 3-1. 

The Yellow Jackets will be back in action Friday when they host Fairmont State University at 7 p.m. They will then close this homestand Saturday evening against Frostburg State University, scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.