FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Fairmont State volleyball (23-4, 11-0 MEC) defeated Wheeling (14-9, 8-3 MEC) 3-1 on Tuesday at Joe Retton Arena, winning by set scores of 25-20, 23-25, 25-20 and 25-2. The Falcons totaled 66 kills, hit .253 and added eight service aces, while the Cardinals finished with 58 kills and a .232 hitting percentage.
The Falcons overcame a 15-12 deficit in the first set, taking a 17-16 lead on
Kailyn Connelly's kill from
Zoe Ringer before finishing off a 25-20 win. Earlier, the Falcons answered a 4-3 deficit with kills from
Josie Nobbe,
Alexa Martin, Connelly and
Elena Thompson to move ahead 8-5.
The Cardinals responded through the middle of the set and went in front 15-11 on a service ace before Nobbe's kill brought the Falcons back within 15-12. The Cardinals tied it at 17-17, but
Alexa Martin, Connelly, Thompson and
Natalie Zemba added late kills,
Ashton Henrich served an ace for a 23-18 margin, and Thompson closed the set with a kill from
Belle DeVall.
The Falcons forced the second set even at 23-23 on a Cardinals attack error, but the Cardinals scored the final two points to take the set, 25-23. The Falcons opened with a Thompson kill from
Belle DeVall and built a 3-0 start behind two Cardinals attack errors, including a block by Zemba and Nobbe.
The Falcons continued to find points through Zemba, Nobbe and
Kailyn Connelly, and after the Cardinals moved ahead 12-11, Nobbe, Thompson and Connelly helped the Falcons regain a 14-12 edge. The Falcons later led 20-17 after Thompson's kill from Ringer, but the Cardinals tied the set at 20-20 on back-to-back Falcons attack errors before the teams traded points into the closing stretch.
The Falcons broke a 20-20 tie by taking the final five points of the third set, turning a Thompson kill, a Nobbe kill and back-to-back Thompson aces into a 25-20 win. Midway through the set, the Falcons built a 12-10 edge behind a block by
Alexa Martin and Zemba, kills from Thompson and Connelly, and a Henrich service ace before the Cardinals answered with five straight points for a 15-12 lead.
Connelly helped the Falcons work back with three kills after that deficit, and
Josie Nobbe's service ace tied the set at 17-17. Thompson added kills that brought the Falcons even at 19-19 and ahead 20-19, then delivered the sideout at 20-20 before serving out the set.
The Falcons answered the Cardinals' 21-21 tie by scoring the final four points, with Connelly putting the Falcons back in front on a kill from
Belle DeVall before Grace Devall served out the 25-21 fourth-set win. The Falcons opened the set with blocks involving Connelly, Thompson and
Averi Martin, then built a 7-3 edge behind kills from Nobbe and Zemba and a Nobbe service ace.
Connelly helped the Falcons create more separation in the middle of the set, recording four kills during a stretch that moved the Falcons ahead 16-10. The Cardinals responded with six straight points to tie the set at 16-16 and later pulled even again at 21-21, but the Falcons finished with Connelly's late kill, two Cardinals setting errors and Devall's closing ace.
Thompson led the Falcons with 21.5 points, finishing with 19 kills, 13 digs and two service aces. Connelly matched Thompson with 19 kills and hit .708 while adding two blocks. Nobbe recorded 16 kills, seven digs and two aces for 18.5 points. Grace Devall collected 27 digs and added three assists.
Fairmont State ventures south for its next match on Friday, October 23 at Concord University. Start time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
