CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Wesleyan volleyball team (0-9, 0-1 MEC) fell in its first conference match of the season versus Charleston (9-4, 1-0 MEC) at the Wehrle Innovation Center in Charleston, W.Va.
 
WVWC Leaders
Four Bobcat players had double-digit kills. Lexi Tatum and Anaya Hyman each had six kills. Michela Ayers added five kills and Joelle Lalla produced four kills for the Wesleyan offense. Payton Hefner and Maddi Carpenter combined for 20 assists. Hefner totaled 12 assists while Carpenter had eight. Kennedy Kuhns swung two consecutive service aces in the third set. Hyman picked up a service ace as well.
 
Defensively, Tatum led the ‘Cats with eight digs. Autumn Molenhouse added six digs, while Kennedy Kuhns accumulated five digs. At the net, Jayla Cowherd, Hope Arce-Reed, Milan Reynolds, and Ayers each totaled one block assist.
 
Charleston Leaders
Sage Bearnson had a game-high 10 kills. Setter Maria Hernandez accumulated 28 assists on the night. Hernandez and Madison Jackson each added a service ace for UC.
 
Four Golden Eagle players eclipsed five digs in the match: Jackson, Hernandez, McKenzie Damon, and Morgan Walter. Bearnson totaled one block solo and one block assist. McKenzie Carpenter led Charleston with three block assists.
 
Inside Set One
With the Bobcats down one point, Lalla connected on a kill assisted from Hefner to tie the score at 10. On the next point, Hyman delivered a service ace to give Wesleyan a one-point advantage. A UC attack error put WVWC ahead 12-10. Charleston won the next three decisions to take the lead, but then Wesleyan tied the score at 13 after a Charleston attack error. 
 
Both teams traded the next six points to put the score at 16-16. The Golden Eagles took the next two points. The Bobcats cut the deficit to one after a bad set from Charleston. UC won the next point, but Hyman responded with a kill to put the score at 19-18. Charleston took a 21-18 lead. A kill from Lalla cut the margin to two points again. But the Golden Eagles won four of the final six points to close out set one, 25-21.
 
Inside Set Two
With the score tied at 3-3, Charleston went on an 11-4 run to take a 14-7 lead. Kills by Hyman and Ayers helped the Bobcats cut the lead to 14-9. The Golden Eagles won 11 of the last 17 decisions to take set two 25-15.
 
Inside Set Three
Charleston was victorious on the first five points of the third set. Wesleyan cut the Charleston lead to five points after an attack error from UC. The Golden Eagles went on an 8-0 run and took an 18-5 lead. Kuhns connected on two consecutive service aces late in the third set. Charleston won the third set 25-10.
 
Up Next
The Lady Bobcats return to Buckhannon for their first home match of the fall season versus Concord on Friday (Oct. 1) at the Rockefeller Center. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m.