FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- The Fairmont State (11-11, 4-3 Mountain East Conference) volleyball team earned a five-set victory over Charleston (16-7, 6-2 MEC) on Saturday (Oct. 14) afternoon inside Joe Retton Arena.

Four Falcons tallied double-digit kill totals with Joey Borelle leading the way with 16 kills. The freshman trio of Josie Nobbe, Ellie Zuro and Natalie Zemba combined for 36 of the Falcons' 61 kills on the day. Jaianna Bouarouy distributed 32 assists and Kelsie Dangerfield handed out 20 assists to go along with a pair of service aces. Borelle, Emma Ludwig and Zemba each recorded five block assists. Josie Skinn, who leads the MEC in digs, made crucial plays on the defensive side of the court for the Falcons and racked up 30 digs.

Inside Set One
With the score even at 7-7, Charleston ripped off four consecutive points and held an 11-7 lead. Kills by Borelle and Ludwig pulled Fairmont State within one point. UC regained its four-point lead after winning three unanswered points. A service ace by Jay Miller trimmed the Charleston lead to 21-19. UC increased its lead to 24-20 before winning the opening set, 25-22.

Inside Set Two
The Falcons regrouped and jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the second set. The Fairmont State run concluded with a kill from Ludwig and a Skinn service ace. The Golden Eagles rallied and claimed the next five points to tie the score at 7-7. After UC took the lead, Dangerfield produced a kill to pull the Falcons back in front, 11-10. The lead exchanged once more to Charleston after a Riley Hoff kill. Another Ludwig kill and a UC attack error put the Falcons back in front, 13-12. The Fairmont State lead grew to three points after Ludwig and Zuro teammed up for a block on UC. Zuro powered a kill to extend the Fairmont State lead to 18-14. Charleston stormed back and went on a 4-0 run to tie set two, 18-18. Fairmont State controlled the lead following a kill by Zemba and a service ace by Dangerfield and went up 22-18. The Falcons claimed the final two points of the set after kills from Zemba and Borelle and the match score leveled at 1-1.

Inside Set Three
The Falcons took an 11-8 lead after scoring three-straight points that featured kills by Zuro and Nobbe and block assists by Borelle and Ludwig. UC went ahead after a 5-1 scoring run to make the score 13-12 Charleston. Fairmont State responded with a 5-0 run that included two kills by Nobbe and a kill each by Borelle, Cayden Anschutz and Zemba. The Golden Eagles won four consecutive rallies to tie the set, 18-18. The Falcons broke a 20-20 tie with three-straight points to go up 23-20. After Charleston tied the set at 23-23, the teams traded the ensuing four rallies to make the score, 25-25. Fairmont State won the final two points of the set after a Nobbe kill set by Bouarouy and a block by Zemba and Borelle to give the Falcons a 27-25 set three win.

Inside Set Four
Fairmont State held a 10-7 lead in the fourth set after kills by Ludwig and Borelle. The Golden Eagles rallied and tied the score at 10-10. UC went on a 6-1 scoring spree and built a 16-11 lead in the middle of the fourth set. Zemba tallied three kills in the final rallies of the fourth set. The Falcons would not come within five points of the UC lead down the stretch and the Golden Eagles forced a winner-take-all fifth set.

Inside Set Five
Zuro collected a kill and the Golden Eagles committed an attack error to open the final set. UC won three consecutive points and led 3-2. Nobbe swung for two kills to put her team back in front, 4-3. A Fairmont State service error evened the score, 4-4. Zemba's 10th kill of the match and Dangerfield's second service ace of the match put the Falcons in the lead, 6-4. The Golden Eagles roared back after winning the next three rallies and led, 7-6. The Falcons regained the lead after a combo block by Anschutz and Zemba and a UC ball handling error to force the set break at 8-7 Fairmont State. After UC tied the set at 8-8, the Falcons won four-straight points that featured three kills by Borelle and a combo block by Borelle and Ludwig. After UC trimmed the Falcons' lead to 12-9, UC committed a service error that put the Falcons back ahead 13-9. Borelle and Nobbe pushed the Falcons across the finish line with kills on the last two rallies and Fairmont State defeated the Golden Eagles in a five-set thriller.

The Fairmont State volleyball team will be back in action at Davis & Elkins on Friday (Oct. 20) at 7 p.m.