GLENVILLE, W.Va. – The Fairmont State (7-8, 1-0 Mountain East Conference) volleyball team began MEC play on a strong note with a 3-0 sweep over Glenville State (3-9, 0-1 MEC) on Friday (Sept. 22) at the Waco Center in Glenville, W.Va.
 
With the win Fairmont State head coach Travis Hinkle earned his 100^th career victory as a head coach. Hinkle holds head coaching experience at Notre Dame College and Fairmont State.
 
Leading Fairmont State in kills was Joey Borelle with 12 and Ellie Zuro with 10. The duo both led the Falcons at the net with a trio of blocks each. Jaianna Bouarouy hit two service aces while Lindsey Ulring and Natalie Zemba each had one. Bouarouy dished out 24 assists while Kelsie Dangerfield passed 13. Libero Josie Skinn snagged 21 digs and Borelle tracked down 14.
 
With Fairmont State trailing 8-6 in the first set, the Falcons seized control of the lead by winning five consecutive points. Emma Ludwig and Borelle chipped in a kill and Bouarouy swung two straight aces in the scoring run. The Pioneers evened the score at 11 with three-straight points. The Falcons went on a key 7-1 run in the middle of the set and went up 18-12. The run featured four kills by Zuro and one each by Josie Nobbe and Zemba. The Pioneers could not trim the Falcons lead to less than four points down the stretch, and Ulring smashed a service ace to conclude the first set with Fairmont State on top, 25-17.
 
The Falcons continued to ride the momentum into the second set and won the first three points of set two after a kill by Ludwig and two GSU attack errors. The Pioneers jumped in front after going on a 5-0 run. Fairmont State trailed by two points when the Falcons rallied and won four rallies in a row to take a 15-13 lead. The Pioneers swung back into the lead with three-straight points. A kill by Nobbe, a block assist by Zuro and Borelle and a block solo by Zemba put the Falcons in front 20-17 and broke a tie score. Ludwig and Zuro secured the final points of the set with kills and the Falcons claimed set two, 25-21.
 
In similar fashion to set two, the Falcons raced out to a 5-0 lead in the third with two kills by Borelle and a kill each by Zuro and Ludwig. The Falcons extended their lead to nine points after a 3-0 run that featured a kill by Alexa Martin and an ace by Zemba. GSU mounted a rally and closed the gap to three points two times down the stretch. Fairmont State never trailed in the final set and won set three, 25-21.
 
Fairmont State returns home to face Wheeling on Tuesday (Sept. 26) at 7 p.m. inside Joe Retton Arena.