Women's Volleyball | 9/10/2012 8:31:00 AM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4     PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A thrilling five-set victory against Asbury (Ky.) highlighted the West Liberty University volleyball team's weekend performance at the Pioneer Invitational in downtown Pittsburgh.
    Coach Kayla Fetsko's Hilltoppers dropped the first two sets to the Kentucky school in Friday's final match but roared back with two straight wins to force a fifth and deciding set. The Black and Gold toughed out an 18-16 nod in that set to come away with the win.
    Earlier on Friday, the Hilltoppers had dropped a three-set decision to once-beaten NAIA power Northwestern Ohio. Saturday's matches saw West Liberty (3-5) fall to Point Park and Rio Grande (Ohio). The host Pioneers edged WLU by identical 25-22 tallies in the first two sets before closing out the match with a 25-14 nod. Rio Grande and West Liberty split their first two sets before the Ohio school finished off a 3-1 win.
    In the Asbury match, Michaela Hawkins paced the Hilltoppers with 13 kills and 5 blocks while Emily Mellie weighed in with 11 kills, 4 blocks and a service ace. Rachel Zeigler also had 11 kills and a pair of blocks with Anne Edwards hammering home 10 kills and adding 5 blocks. Chelsea Byrge was charted with 43 assists while Courtney Pyeritz collected a team-high 11 digs.
    Against Northwestern Ohio, Mellie, Hawkins and Zeigler all finished with 7 kills and combined for 6 blocks in a losing cause. Byrge had 23 assists while Gabbie Davis posted a team-high 11 digs.
    In the Saturday morning encounter with Point Park, Zeigler had a big game at the net with 9 kills and 4 blocks to go along with a service ace. Edwards backed her with 6 kills and 3 blocks while Nikki Sadecky also had 6 kills in a losing cause. Byrge had 18 assists while Pyeritz finished with 11 digs. No match statistics were available from Rio Grande finale.
    The Hilltoppers return to action Tuesday with a 7 p.m. match at Marietta (Ohio).
 
VOLLEYBALL
2012 Pioneer Invitatational
Northwestern Ohio 3, West Liberty 0
(25-23, 25-19, 25-11)
NORTHWESTERN OHIO (12-1)
    Emily Crowell 14-0-3; Casey Gates 14-0-1; Brittany Egbert 4-3-4; Megan Fullenkamp 3-0-3; Sabrina Lemmink 3-0-1; Lauren Maxwell 3-0-2; Calley Hawkins 0-0-1; Cierra Anderson 0-3-0; Ellie Comes 0-1-0. Totals 41-7-8.0.
    Assists: Lauren Maxwell 32
    Digs: Ellie Comes 14
WEST LIBERTY (2-3)
    Emily Mellie 7-0-3; Michaela Hawkins 7-0-2; Rachel Zeigler 7-0-1; Nikki Sadecky 4-0-1; Anne Edwards 3-0-1; Chelsea Byrge 2-0-2; Ali Kowalski 1-0-0. Totals 31-0-5.0.
    Assists: Chelsea Byrge 23
    Digs: Gabbie Davis 10
West Liberty 3, Asbury (Ky.) 2
(18-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-16)
WEST LIBERTY (3-3)
    Michaela Hawkins 13-0-5; Emily Mellie 11-1-4; Rachel Zeigler 11-0-2; Anne Edwards 10-0-5; Nikki Sadecky 9-1-2; Chelsea Byrge 4-0-3; Courtney Pyeritz 1-1-0; Peyton Miller 0-1-0. Totals 59-4-12.0.
    Assists: Chelsea Byrge 43.
    Digs: Courtney Pyeritz 11
ASBURY (1-4)
    Individual stats unavailable
Point Park 3, West Liberty 0
(25-22, 25-22, 25-14)
WEST LIBERTY (3-4)
    Rachel Zeigler 9-1-4; Anne Edwards 6-0-3; Nikki Sadecky 6-0-0; Michaela Hawkins 4-0-3; Emily Mellie 2-0-5; Chelsea Byrge 1-1-2. Totals 28-2-9.0.
    Assists: Chelsea Byrge 18
    Digs: Courtney Pyeritz 11
 
POINT PARK (10-1)
    Nicole Wurstle 8-0-1; Chelsea Katkich 8-0-2; Lindsey Oberacker 8-2-0; Livia Caluori 4-2-6; Tayler Pugliese 3-0-2; Amanda Ardinger 1-0-0; Keaton Sausman 1-0-1; Margaret Gillooly 1-1-0; Cara Bradley 0-0-3. Totals 34-5-8.0.
    Assists: Tayler Pugliese 18
    Digs: Alyssa Hall 19
Rio Grande (Ohio) 3, West Liberty 1
(25-19, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22)
WEST LIBERTY (3-5)
    Individual stats unavailable
RIO GRANDE (4-5)
    Individual stats unavailable