WHEELING, W.Va. – The Fairmont State University women's volleyball team completed its trip to Wheeling, West Virginia for the Atlantic Crossover. The Falcons fell in the opening match to Clarion, 3-0, before being best by Slippery Rock, 3-1.
Match 1: Clarion 3, Fairmont State 0
Clarion opened the first set with an 8-1 run. Fairmont State slowly chipped away at the deficit and made it a three-point game (17-14). The Golden Eagles began to regain control and were just a point away from taking the set, 24-18. The Falcons won the next five points with three aces from
Kelsie Dangerfield but Clarion won the final point and set, 25-23.
The two squads were evenly matched to start the second as Fairmont State took an 11-7 lead as
Natalie Zemba tallied a kill and an ace. The Golden Eagles did not trail for long as they tied the set at 13. Both sides remained within striking distance until Clarion claimed three-straight to lead 24-21. Borelle won the Falcons the next point but Clarion won the set (25-22) and led 2-0.
Fairmont State grasped the early lead in the third set, 7-2, but the Golden Eagles quickly pulled within one. Following the exchange of a couple of points, Clarion won 8 of the next 10 points to lead 17-13. The Falcons battled back and tied the set as the two teams matched each other before
Alexa Martin and Borelle converted on back-to-back attacks to give the team a 24-23 edge. Unfortunately, Clarion won the final three points to claim the set and the match.
Borelle and Zemba led the team with eight and seven kills, respectively.
Belle DeVall added 14 assists while
Josie Skinn led the defensive front with 19 digs.
Match 2: Slippery Rock 3, Fairmont State 1
In the first set, Slippery Rock got out in front early and held it for much of the set. Trailing 23-17, Fairmont State won the next seven points with kills from Borelle along with two blocks by her,
Alexa Martin and
Josie Nobbe. The Falcons were just a point away from taking the set but Slippery Rock won the final three points to win, 26-24.
The second set kicked off with the Falcons claiming the lead and expanded it to a six-point difference, 11-5. FSU kept the advantage and at one point led 21-14. However, SRU won seven of the next eight points to pull within one (22-21). The Rock tried to even the set but a
Baylie Ostvig kill won the set for Fairmont State, 25-23.
Both teams matched the other for the first half of the third set. Slippery Rock opened a five-point lead (19-14) but the Falcons won the next five to even the set. The two exchanged points until the Rock won four of the final five points for the set win, 25-23.
Slippery Rock took the early lead in the fourth set but Fairmont State stayed in the set and tied it at 11 following an ace from Dangerfield. The Rock won 10 of the following 13 points and opened a seven-point lead (21-14). The Falcons narrowed the gap to three (23-20) after a kill by
Chloe McDaniel. Unfortunately, Slippery Rock won the final two points to win the set and match.
Borelle finished the match with a double-double with 14 kills and 23 digs as Dangerfield totaled 25 assists. Skinn tallied 38 digs while Zemba and Martin finished with six and five blocks, respectively.
Fairmont State (8-5) returns home to face Bluefield State University on Tuesday, September 24. First serve is slated for 6:00 p.m.
