West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University volleyball team improved to 2-0 in MEC play on Tuesday night in the ASRC with a 3-1 win over Notre Dame. The Hilltoppers won the match with set scores of 25-17, 12-25, 25-16, and 26-24.
 
QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: West Liberty 3, Notre Dame 1
Team Records: West Liberty 12-4 (2-0 MEC), Notre Dame 2-8 (1-1 MEC)
Attendance: 173
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• West Liberty opened the match by jumping out to a 9-3 advantage after an over pass by Nyia Setla fell to the floor after being mishandled by a pair of Notre Dame players. The Falcons cut the deficit to within two at 10-8, however the Hilltoppers regained control with a 4-0 rally capped by a Page Gross service ace. The Black & Gold seized the momentum in set one with an 8-3 scoring run to go up 22-13. WLU claimed the final two points of the first frame with a pair of attack errors by NDC, winning the set 25-17.
• Notre Dame jumped out to an early 4-2 advantage in set two before West Liberty momentarily tied the set at four following a kill by Gross. The Falcons seized the momentum in the second frame with a 15-4 scoring run, taking an 11 point lead. Two kills from Liv McAtee and one from Ashley Cudnik sparked a mini 3-1 scoring run in an attempt at a comeback, but NDC scored five of the final six points to claim the 25-12 set win.
• Notre Dame jumped out to another 4-2 lead at the beginning of set three, but back-and-forth action continued to a 10-8 Falcon lead. West Liberty grabbed the lead for good with a 7-1 scoring run as a Setla service ace gave the Hilltoppers a 15-11 advantage. NDC cut the lead to as close as two points, but the Black & Gold clinched the 25-16 set three win on a Leah Driscoll kill that marked five consecutive WLU points to end the frame.
• West Liberty continued their momentum from the end of set three to the beginning of set four with a 5-2 advantage after a kill by Grace Hill. Notre Dame responded with an 8-3 scoring run to grab a 13-8 lead and swing the momentum in their direction. The Hilltoppers continued to battle by taking six of the next seven points with a pair of kills from both Driscoll and McAtee. Following a tie at 15 all, the teams combined for three ties and four lead changes. The Falcons scored three consecutive points to tie the set at 24, but kills by Driscoll and Fritz sealed the match win with a 26-24 set win.
• West Liberty held the advantage in the match with a .238 attack percentage compared to Notre Dame with a .207 attack percentage. The Hilltoppers also held the edge in points (62-58), kills (50-47), aces (10-7), and assists (48-40), while the Falcons held the advantage in blocks (4-2) and digs (68-60).

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS
Liv McAtee: 15 kills, .361 attack percentage, 4 digs, 1 block
Katelynn Fritz: 10 kills, .200 attack percentage, 13 digs, 1 service ace
Dakoda Keni: 36 assist, 4 digs, 1 service ace
Nyia Setla: 18 digs, 5 assists, 3 service aces
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will play their second consecutive game in the friendly confines of the ASRC on Friday evening when they play host to Fairmont State. The Hilltoppers and Falcons are scheduled for a 7 p.m. first serve.