BUCKHANNON — Top-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan battled throughout but ultimately fell to West Virginia State 3–0 (19–25, 28–30, 19–25) in the semifinals of the Mountain East Conference Tournament on Friday evening
The loss ends the Lady Bobcats’ season at 20–9 overall, culminating a standout campaign that featured an 11–4 MEC record, the No. 1 seed in the postseason, and the program’s deepest tournament push in several years.
MATCH RECAP
Set 1 — Hill leads Yellow Jackets to early advantage (19–25)
Wesleyan struggled to find offensive rhythm early, hitting .122 in the opening frame (14 kills, 9 errors).
Despite solid swings from MacKenna Halfin and Emily Denison, West Virginia State leaned heavily on Alyssa Hill, who recorded six early kills and helped WVSU take a 1–0 match lead.
Setter Lacey Guthrie kept the Bobcats organized with 9 assists in the frame, but the Jackets’ .263 hitting clip proved decisive.
Set 2 — Instant classic, but Bobcats fall in 30–28 thriller
The second set was the match’s turning point: 15 ties and 6 lead changes created one of the most dramatic sets of Wesleyan’s season.
Wesleyan improved offensively to 16 kills on .132 hitting
Denison and Halfin combined for 14 kills in the frame
Axe added timely production on the right side
Both teams exchanged set-point opportunities, but WVSU capitalized on late defensive stops and an attack error to steal the extended 30–28 victory.
Set 3 — Jackets finish strong (19–25)
WVSU regained control behind another efficient offensive set (.265), closing the door despite WVWC hitting .220, its best efficiency of the night.
Denison, Halfin, and Axe each produced multiple mid-set kills as Wesleyan fought to stay within striking distance, but Hill and Nicole Custodio combined for eight late kills to seal the sweep for the Yellow Jackets.
LADY BOBCAT STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offense
Emily Denison — 11 kills (.167), 9 digs, 4 total blocks, 14.0 points
MacKenna Halfin — 12 kills (.286), 5 digs, 3 total blocks, 14.0 points
Bhrooke Axe — 6 kills (.188), 3 blocks, 8.0 points
Emonie Fennell — 7 kills (.111), 2 digs
Sabrina Carleton — 4 kills (.364)
Wesleyan totaled 44 kills on the night, hitting .156 as a team.
Setting
Lacey Guthrie — 26 assists, 3 digs
Claire Wheeler — 9 assists, 1 ace
The two-setter system combined for 41 assists in the match.
Defense
Team digs: 43
Moeschler (13)
Denison (9)
Halfin (5)
Grafton (5)
Grassals (4)
Team blocks: 12 total (4 solo/8 assists)
Denison (2 BA, 2 BS)
Halfin (1 BS, 2 BA)
Axe (1 BS, 2 BA)
Carleton (1 BA)
Fowler (not listed as playing — ignore)
WVSU’s defense produced 14 blocks, a major factor in limiting WVWC’s efficiency.
Serving
Only 1 ace (Wheeler) for the Lady Bobcats
8 service errors hindered momentum in several key sequences
OPPONENT HIGHLIGHTS
West Virginia State’s attack was led by:
Alyssa Hill — 16 kills (.448), 2 digs, 1 block, 16.5 points
Carmen Perez — 5 kills, 1 ace, 10 digs
Nicole Custodio — 11 kills (.333), 5 blocks (match-high)
Giatta Iquinto — 8 kills, 4 blocks
The Yellow Jackets hit .205 and out-blocked Wesleyan 14–12.
SEASON SUMMARY
Despite the semifinal loss, West Virginia Wesleyan’s 2025 campaign featured:
Top seed in the MEC Tournament
20-win season
Head-to-head sweep of Charleston
League-leading offensive improvement
Breakout seasons from Denison, Halfin, Axe, and Guthrie
The Lady Bobcats conclude the year as one of the conference’s top emerging programs, poised for an even stronger run in 2026.
