FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The Fairmont State (2-2) volleyball team swept Elizabeth City State (1-3) before dropping a match to Slippery Rock (3-1) on the final day of the Fairmont State Volleyball Classic at Joe Retton Arena.
 
Match One – Fairmont State 3, Elizabeth City State 0
Joey Borelle and Ellie Zuro swung for kills in the first three rallies of the match and FSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Zuro's third kill of the match increased Fairmont State's lead to four. Josie Nobbe started a 4-0 Falcon run with a kill and the home team led 9-2. The Vikings responded with a 6-1 run and trimmed the Falcons' lead to two. Nobbe collected two kills and the Falcons led 15-11 midway through the set. The Vikings closed the gap to one point four times down the stretch. With the score at 21-20 in favor of Fairmont State, the Falcons ripped off four consecutive points to take set one, 25-20. Natalie Zemba and Nobbe ended the set with a double block on a Viking attack.
 
In set two, the Falcons led 9-8 when Zemba put down a kill that started a 3-0 run. Nobbe finished a kill to complete the run and FSU held a 12-8 lead. Emma Ludwig and Zuro swung for kills and Kelsie Dangerfield sliced an ace to pull the Falcons ahead 19-14. ECSU cut the lead to 22-20, but the Falcons finished the set with three unanswered points, aided by kills from Nobbe and Zemba.
 
The Vikings rebounded in set three and took an early 12-4 lead. Fairmont State roared back with a 9-1 run that included a five Borelle kills and a pair of service aces by Jaianna Bouarouy. A ECSU attack error tied the score at 13. Fairmont State took its first lead of the set at 15-14, and a Borelle kill pushed the lead to two points. Zuro made the score 19-17 with a kill and Borelle followed to bump the Falcons to a 20-17 cushion. The Vikings made one final push and trailed 23-22. Zuro finished the match with two kills and the Falcons completed a 3-0 sweep.
 
Borelle and Nobbe both finished with 13 kills and Zuro added 12. Bouarouy dished out 24 assists and netted a pair of service aces. Borelle led the Falcons with 11 digs, while Zemba and Nobbe both had three block assists.
 
Match Two – Slippery Rock 3, Fairmont State 0
Fairmont State won three-straight points that included a Zemba ace to control a 4-3 lead in the opening set. SRU seized the lead and led 10-6. Ludwig and Zemba both tallied kills to put Fairmont State within two. The Rock extended the lead to four points at 12-8. The Rock led by as many as nine points in the set. Borelle chipped in two kills towards the end of the set to cut the lead to six. The Rock claimed set one, 25-17.
 
With the Falcons down three, Borelle and Nobbe struck kills to make the score 11-10 SRU. The Rock scored two straight points and regained a three-point lead. Dangerfield and Borelle racked up a kill to put the Falcons back to within one. Slippery Rock won three of the next four points and held an 18-15 lead. Fairmont State tied the score at 18 after three consecutive SRU attack errors. The Rock went on a key 5-0 run and led 23-18 late in the set. Zuro collected a kill to cut the margin to four. The Rock won set two, 25-19.
 
Zemba laced a kill and swung a service ace to give the Falcons a 4-3 lead in set three. SRU gained the lead after three-straight points and led 6-4. Ludwig tied the score at six from a Dangerfield assist. A kill from Zuro and a Dangerfield ace put the Falcons ahead 8-6. After the Rock tied the score at eight, Zuro finished a kill to put the Falcons ahead 9-8. With the score tied at 13, a SRU ball handling error gave the Falcons a lead and Zuro followed with a kill to pad the Falcon lead to 15-13. The Rock regained the lead, but the Falcons responded with a Zuro kill to even the score at 18. SRU again ignited a late run and scored six unanswered points to pull away, 24-18. The Rock won the final set, 25-19.
 
Ludwig and Borelle both led the Falcons with six kills each. Zemba totaled two service aces while Dangerfield dished out 12 assists. Josie Skinn grabbed 15 digs and Ludwig and Nobbe each had three blocks at the net.
 
Fairmont State Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team

• Jenna Long, Anderson (MVP)
• Jaelyn Grimm, Anderson
• Tabitha Wheeler, Anderson
• Mary Berger, Slippery Rock
• Erica Selfridge, Slippery Rock
• Josie Nobbe, Fairmont State
• Natalie Zemba, Fairmont State
• Elizabeth Kellum, Elizabeth City State

Up Next
Fairmont State volleyball will play its first road match on Tuesday (Sept. 5) at Bluefield State. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.