BUCKHANNON — West Virginia Wesleyan volleyball returned to form in dominant fashion Tuesday night, sweeping the University of Charleston 3–0 (25–18, 25–18, 25–21) inside the Rockefeller Center. The Lady Bobcats’ balanced attack and sharp defense ended a three-match losing streak and secured a season sweep over the Golden Eagles after previously winning a five-set thriller in Charleston on September 30.
Wesleyan jumped ahead early behind efficient hitting from Bhrooke Axe and Emily Denison, both of whom set the pace for a night of offensive consistency. The Lady Bobcats hit .162 in the opening set, while holding Charleston to .129. Timely kills from Axe and Emonie Fennell, along with steady defense from libero Alexis Moeschler, helped WVWC close out the first frame 25–18.
In the second set, the Lady Bobcats found their rhythm from the middle. Denison and Axe each posted four kills during the frame, while setter Lacey Guthrie directed an offense that produced a match-high .282 hitting percentage. Claire Wheeler and Faith Grafton contributed service aces to keep Charleston off balance as Wesleyan again pulled away late, 25–18.
Charleston made a push in the third, but the Lady Bobcats never trailed after the midpoint. MacKenna Halfin and Fennell combined for 15 kills in the match, and the Wesleyan block came up big in key moments — Denison and Halfin each recorded multiple block assists to stifle the Golden Eagles’ comeback effort. A Denison kill sealed the sweep, giving Wesleyan its 14th victory of the season.
Stat Leaders
Bhrooke Axe – 12 kills, .360 hitting percentage, 12.5 points
Emily Denison – 11 kills, .348 hitting percentage, 12.5 points
MacKenna Halfin – 8 kills, 9.5 points
Emonie Fennell – 7 kills, .294 hitting percentage
Lacey Guthrie – 15 assists, 2 service aces
Alexis Moeschler – 22 digs
Claire Wheeler – 16 assists, 2 service aces
Wesleyan finished the match with a .223 hitting percentage and limited Charleston to .125. The Lady Bobcats tallied seven aces and five team blocks, while Charleston posted 14 attack errors.
The win improves WVWC to 14–8 overall and 6–4 in MEC play, while Charleston falls to 16–10 and 8–2 in conference. The result marks Wesleyan’s second straight win over the Golden Eagles this season and provides a needed momentum boost after dropping three consecutive matches by 0–3 scores to West Liberty, Frostburg State, and Fairmont State
The Lady Bobcats travel to Pittsburgh to face Point Park University on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31, before returning home November 4 to host Concord University in the final stretch of MEC play.
