BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Fairmont State University swept West Virginia Wesleyan College 25-23, 25-11, 25-23 on Saturday at Rockefeller Center. Fairmont State's attack was led by 40 kills and a .241 hitting percentage. The Falcons also registered 10 total team blocks, stifling the home team's offense.

Fairmont State initiated the first set strongly, quickly gaining momentum with an attack error by Emily Denison, leading to an early advantage. Despite back-and-forth scoring with West Virginia Wesleyan, Fairmont State maintained pressure with crucial kills from Alexa Martin and Joey Borelle, establishing a narrow lead.

West Virginia Wesleyan responded with a significant run, led by MacKenna Halfin and Emonie Fennell, pushing the score to 10-4 in their favor. However, Fairmont State rallied back, with impactful plays from Natalie Zemba and Chloe McDaniel, closing the gap to 16-14.

As the set progressed, Fairmont State capitalized on key errors by the Bobcats and strong offensive plays, including a service ace by Zemba. Josie Nobbe's decisive kill secured the set for Fairmont State, concluding with a score of 25-23.

Fairmont State started the second set with momentum, capitalizing on West Virginia Wesleyan's errors to establish a 4-1 lead. Key plays included a block by Nobbe and Alexa Martin, contributing to an early advantage. Fairmont State maintained the pressure with Martin and Adella Rodriguez adding critical kills, extending their lead to 7-2.

Throughout the set, Fairmont State continued to exploit errors from the Bobcats, with strong contributions from McDaniel and Borelle. The team also benefited from service aces by Skinn, creating a significant gap at 20-9. Fairmont State closed the set decisively with a series of kills from McDaniel and Rodriguez, securing a 25-11 win.

The Falcons started the third set with an early advantage, capitalizing on an attack error by the Bobcats' Denison. Despite trading points in the early stages, the Falcons surged ahead with a series of blocks and kills, highlighted by Zemba and Nobbe, establishing a 5-3 lead.

A mid-set rally by the Bobcats, driven by Faith Grafton's serving, brought the home team level at 8-8. The Falcons responded with a sequence of effective plays, including a service ace from Belle DeVall, regaining the lead at 12-8.

In the closing stages, Fairmont State executed a decisive run, marked by consecutive points from Ashton Henrich's serve, building a 21-17 cushion. Although West Virginia Wesleyan closed the gap, the Falcons secured the set with two final kills by Nobbe, concluding the set 25-23.

Nobbe led the team with 11 kills on 20 attempts, achieving a .550 hitting percentage. Zemba contributed significantly with six total blocks and added six kills on 10 attempts. McDaniel recorded nine kills and three blocks, while DeVall facilitated the offense with 16 assists.

Fairmont State (17-9, 5-4) stays on the road for its next match at Wheeling University on Tuesday, October 28. Match time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.