INSTITUTE – The West Virginia State University women's volleyball team needed a fourth set Wednesday night, but was ultimately able to fend off the Shawnee State University Bears en route to a 3-1 Mountain East Conference victory. WVSU improves to 6-8 overall and 2-2 in MEC play, while Shawnee State falls to 6-10 overall and 1-3 in conference action.
The first set remained tight early until WVSU mounted a 9-0 scoring run to build a 17-8 advantage. During that stretch,
Carmen Pérez posted two kills while
Rowe Tapley delivered a pair of service aces. WVSU continued to extend its lead, reaching 21-10 following a pair of Pérez service aces and a kill. Shawnee State responded late to narrow the margin to 24-19 before an
Audrey Buck kill closed out the 25-19 set win.
Set two was equally competitive early, with WVSU taking a 12-10 advantage after scoring three straight points to establish the largest lead for either team to that point. After the Bears answered with a run to take a 21-15 lead, the Yellow Jackets stormed back, scoring eight of the next nine points—highlighted by three service aces, including two from Tapley. With neither team able to convert initial set points,
Deniz Akgul delivered a kill to make it 28-27 before
Gabrielle Elliott sealed the 29-27 set victory with a kill to give WVSU a 2-0 match lead.
Shawnee State held an 8-5 advantage in the third set before WVSU leveled the score at 11-11 and took a 12-11 lead on a Bears attack error. Following a
Maya Vilmar kill, the Bears scored four unanswered points to take a 15-13 lead into a timeout. Shawnee State did not relinquish the advantage, hitting .308 in the frame to claim a 25-20 set win.
The Yellow Jackets controlled the fourth set early, building a quick 6-2 lead before the Bears rallied to level the score. Shawnee State mounted a 7-2 run to take a 15-13 advantage into a media timeout. Following the break, WVSU leveled the score at 17-17 to spark a 5-0 run for a 21-17 lead. WVSU reached match point at 24-21 before the Bears rallied to tie the score at 24-24. Akgul then delivered back-to-back kills to close out the set, 26-24, and secure the 3-1 match victory.
WVSU continues its homestand Friday, Oct. 2, hosting West Virginia Wesleyan College. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.
