INSTITUTE – The West Virginia State University women's volleyball team dropped a three-set Mountain East Conference match Friday night to Fairmont State University. WVSU moves to 7-10 overall and 3-4 in MEC play, while Fairmont State improves to 18-4 overall with a 7-0 mark in conference action.
Fairmont State controlled the opening set early, building a 21-10 advantage before WVSU mounted a 9-1 run to narrow the deficit to 22-19. Gabrielle Elliott registered a pair of kills during the spurt, while Audrey Buck added two service aces. The Yellow Jackets pulled within a single point at 23-22 before the Fighting Falcons claimed the final two points to secure the 25-22 set victory.
The Yellow Jackets seized an early 5-3 lead in the second set behind kills from Deniz Akgul, Elliott, and Lilly Adkins. After Fairmont State edged ahead 9-8, WVSU answered with four consecutive points to build a 12-9 lead and force a Fighting Falcons timeout. Fairmont State responded out of the stoppage, scoring seven of the next nine points to take a 16-14 advantage. WVSU was unable to erase the deficit as the Fighting Falcons closed out a 25-22 set win to extend their match lead to 2-0.
In the third set, Fairmont State took early control before WVSU used a 5-1 run—highlighted by an early Ahaziah Smith kill—to level the score at 9-9. The Fighting Falcons answered with a 6-2 run to take a 15-11 lead into a media timeout. Following the break, Fairmont State closed the match on a 10-2 run to claim the set 25-13 and seal the 3-0 decision.
WVSU faces a quick turnaround, hosting Frostburg State University on Saturday, Oct. 10. First serve inside the Walker Convocation Center is set for 5 p.m.
