INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State women's volleyball team split the opening day of the WVSU/UC Crossover, completing a reverse sweep over Roosevelt University in the final match of the day. WVSU moves to 4-1 on the season.
Match 1: Young Harris 3, WVSU 2
The Yellow Jackets won the first set 25-21, using a 5-1 run to take an early 10-7 lead. WVSU stretched its advantage to 17-10 before Young Harris pulled within 17-12. The Mountain Lions narrowed the gap to 22-20, but the Yellow Jackets scored three of the final four points to secure the set.
Young Harris took an early 9-6 lead in the second set behind four consecutive points. WVSU rallied to take an 18-15 advantage before the Mountain Lions answered with a 5-0 run to pull ahead 20-18. WVSU tied the set at 22-22, but Young Harris scored three of the final four points to win 25-23.
In the third set, Young Harris built an early 11-9 lead before WVSU responded with a 9-1 run to take an 18-12 advantage. WVSU extended its lead to 24-16 after consecutive kills by Carmen Pérez. Despite a late point from the Mountain Lions, the Yellow Jackets won the set 25-17 on an attack error.
Young Harris opened the fourth set on a 5-1 run before the Yellow Jackets scored four straight to tie it at 5-5. The Mountain Lions then built a 14-9 lead and extended it to 21-13 before WVSU answered with back-to-back points, including a Giatta Iquinto service ace. Young Harris took the set 25-18 to force a fifth set.
The Yellow Jackets took an early 6-3 lead in the final set and led 7-5 before four straight Mountain Lions points gave Young Harris a 9-7 advantage. The Yellow Jackets pulled within 12-10, but Young Harris scored three of the final four points to seal the set and match win.
Match 2: WVSU 3, Roosevelt 2
The Lakers opened the match on a 9-1 run, prompting an early WVSU timeout. The Yellow Jackets rallied within 16-14, aided by an Ahziah Smith kill. After the Lakers reached set point at 24-19, WVSU scored three straight points to pull within 24-22 and force a Roosevelt timeout before the Lakers closed out the 25-22 set win.
WVSU held an early lead in the second set before the Lakers went ahead 7-6. After the Yellow Jackets pulled within 12-11, Roosevelt used a 12-2 run to extend its lead to 24-13. The Yellow Jackets scored four straight points to prompt a Roosevelt timeout before the Lakers took the set 25-17.
Neither team built a significant lead early in the third set, with WVSU taking a 10-8 advantage. After calling a timeout trailing 20-17, the Yellow Jackets scored eight of the final 11 points, capped by a Pyka Marcelina set-ending kill, to win 25-23.
Roosevelt scored the first three points of the fourth set before WVSU answered with a 4-0 run to take an 8-4 lead. The teams traded leads, with the Lakers pulling ahead 18-14. WVSU rallied to tie the score at 23-23 before consecutive attack errors gave the Yellow Jackets a 25-23 set win, forcing a fifth set.
The Yellow Jackets controlled the deciding set from the start, opening on an 8-2 run and reaching match point at 14-5. Roosevelt saved three match points before an attack error ended the set 15-8 and sealed the match for WVSU.
WVSU closes the weekend Saturday hosting Shepherd University. First serve is set for 3 p.m. Concord University faces Young Harris College at noon.
