BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Fresh off securing the program's first-ever MEC North Division championship, the West Liberty University volleyball team begins postseason play Thursday at 2:30 p.m. when the No. 1 North seed Hilltoppers take on No. 4 South seed Concord in the quarterfinals of the Mountain East Conference Tournament at West Virginia Wesleyan's Rockefeller Center.

West Liberty enters the tournament at 18–12 overall and 10–4 in MEC play, powered by one of the league's most balanced and statistically efficient lineups. The Hilltoppers hit .209 as a team, hold opponents to .153, and rank among the conference leaders in digs (16.1/set) and blocks (2.1/set).

Head coach Makenzy Johnson credits her team's growth and mental toughness as defining factors in their success.

"This season has been defined by resilience," Johnson said. "We battled through some tough losses, grew from every setback, and were able to dominate strong conference opponents along the way. Winning the division and clinching the #1 seed heading into the tournament is a testament to our heart, our discipline, and the belief we have in each other. I'm incredibly proud of this group, but our season isn't over yet; we're locked in and looking forward to a great quarterfinal matchup against a tough Concord team."

Hilltoppers at a Glance

• Kills: 12.5/set (Cudnik 375, McAtee 216, White 184)
   

• Assists: 11.7/set (Keni 863 — just 37 shy of the WLU career record)
   

• Aces: 1.6/set (Keni 31, DuPree 26)
   

• Digs: 16.1/set (Dart 389, Cudnik 322)
   

• Blocks: 2.1/set (Hill 89.0, Staib 88.0)
   

Junior outside hitter Ashley Cudnik, an All-MEC First Team selection, enters the tournament ranked second in the conference in kills, kills per set, and points per set. Setter Dakoda Keni, an All-MEC Second Team honoree, ranks second in the MEC in assists and continues her pursuit of the WLU career assist record.

Earlier This Season: Concord 3, West Liberty 1

The Mountain Lions handed West Liberty one of its rare MEC losses on Oct. 25 in Athens, winning 3–1 (25–21, 25–23, 17–25, 25–22). WLU hit a strong .266 in the match and got:

• 25 kills from Cudnik
   

• 46 assists from Keni
   

• 17 digs from Dart
   

• 10 kills from Kyia White
   

Concord countered with a balanced attack (four players with 13+ kills) and outpaced WLU at the net with 7 total blocks.

Scouting Concord (20–8, 8–7 MEC)

The Mountain Lions enter the tournament hitting .192 while holding opponents to .161 and ranking second in the league in blocks at 2.29 per set.
Key players include:

• Meg Williams (304 kills, 314 digs)
   

• Chloe Thompson (284 kills)
   

• Jasmine Anderson (104 blocks)
   

• Addison Adkins (37 aces, 93 blocks)
   

• Allie Davis (496 digs, 35 aces)
   

Concord's blocking presence and defensive consistency have been strengths all season, and they've taken sets off nearly every top-tier program in the MEC.

Series History

West Liberty leads the all-time series, 14–10, but Concord has earned tight wins in the last two contests (2024 MEC tournament & 2025 regular-season meeting). Prior to that stretch, WLU won nine straight from 2013–2023.

What's at Stake

A win sends the Hilltoppers to Friday's semifinals at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of the Charleston/Wheeling quarterfinal.