BUCKHANNON — The West Virginia Wesleyan volleyball team moved to 8-4 in the early season schedule Friday night with a decisive straight-set victory over Salem University, defeating the Tigers 25–18, 25–16, 25–18 at the Rockefeller Center.
The Lady Bobcats were firing on all cylinders offensively, posting a .302 team hitting percentage, including an explosive .400 clip in the first set. The balanced offensive effort featured four players with hitting percentages over .400.
MacKenna Halfin led the charge with 12 kills on .480 hitting, committing zero errors on 25 swings. Emily Denison had a match-high 14 kills (.414), while adding 12 digs and 4 block assists for an all-around performance. Bhrooke Axe continued her consistent season with 12 kills, 3 block assists, and a .435 hitting percentage. Wesleyan totaled 46 assists as setters Lacey Gutherie (25 assists) and Claire Wheeler (15 assists) ran an efficient offense
Wesleyan’s defensive effort stifled the Salem attack, holding the Tigers to a .130 hitting percentage overall. Faith Grafton anchored the back row with 27 digs, leading all players. The Bobcats recorded 14 total block assists, spreading the work across the front line. Salem was limited to just 29 kills across three sets, committing 27 errors on 123 attempts.
Sydney Workman contributed 2 service aces off the bench. Malaysia Jackson and Braeden Wall each came in for strong swings late, with Wall adding 2 kills on 6 attempts. The Bobcats’ bench combined for 5 kills, 3 aces, and a solid backcourt presence.
The Lady Bobcats will travel to the University of Charleston on Tuesday, Sept. 30 for a 7 p.m. match to begin MEC conference play.
