WEST LIBERTY — Despite a gritty third-set push, the West Virginia Wesleyan volleyball team fell in straight sets to West Liberty (25–12, 25–16, 29–27) on Saturday afternoon inside the ASRC. The loss drops the Lady Bobcats to 13–6 overall and 5–2 in Mountain East Conference play, while the Hilltoppers improve to 12–10 (5–2 MEC).
The Hilltoppers came out strong, hitting an impressive .560 in the opening frame while holding the Lady Bobcats to just ten kills and a .129 hitting percentage. Wesleyan struggled to find rhythm offensively as West Liberty took the set 25–12.
West Liberty maintained momentum in the second set, again holding Wesleyan to a low hitting percentage (.029). The Lady Bobcats managed 11 kills but committed 10 errors as the Hilltoppers’ defense forced extended rallies.
Wesleyan mounted a spirited comeback in the third, pushing the Hilltoppers to the limit in a thrilling 29–27 set. The Lady Bobcats improved their attack, led by Bhrooke Axe and Emily Denison, but West Liberty capitalized late to seal the sweep. The set featured 16 ties and six lead changes.
Lady Bobcat Leaders
Bhrooke Axe paced the Lady Bobcats with 12 kills on a .233 hitting percentage, adding 12 points to her line.
Emily Denison added 8 kills while hitting .278, and Sabrina Carleton chipped in four kills.
Claire Wheeler and Lacey Guthrie shared setting duties, recording 11 and 17 assists, respectively.
Faith Grafton anchored the back row with 9 digs, while Wheeler and Denison added five apiece.
The Lady Bobcats tallied five service aces, led by Axe, Wheeler, and Grafton, but also gave up five service errors.
Wesleyan hit .090 overall (35 kills, 25 errors, 111 total attempts) while recording 37 digs and one team block.
The Lady Bobcats are back in action at the Rockefeller Center Friday, Oct. 24 against Frostburg State University at 7 p.m.
