BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — The West Liberty University volleyball team saw its Mountain East Conference Tournament run come to an end Thursday afternoon, falling in a dramatic five-set battle to Concord University, 25-21, 26-24, 21-25, 18-25, 17-15, at the Rockefeller Center. The Hilltoppers delivered one of their grittiest performances of the season—totaling 70 kills and 99 digs—but came up just shy in a seesaw match that featured long rallies, surges of momentum, and a nail-biting finish.
Concord countered with 59 kills and 13 team blocks, using timely defensive stands to fend off a relentless West Liberty attack.
Despite the loss, the quarterfinal matchup produced a historic Hilltopper milestone as Dakoda Keni became West Liberty's all-time career assists leader. With 57 assists on the afternoon, Keni pushed her career total to 2,575, surpassing the previous program record of 2,555 set by Chelse Byrge (2011–14).
Set 1 – Concord 25, WLU 21
West Liberty started strong, jumping ahead 2–0 behind an Ashley Cudnik kill from Bella Dart and a Concord error. The teams traded early points before Concord capitalized on a brief Hilltopper scoring drought to build a 10–6 advantage. Kills from Grace Hill, Adrienne Staib, and Liv McAtee helped close the gap, but Concord's late-set efficiency carried them to the opening win.
Set 2 – Concord 26, WLU 24
The Hilltoppers traded blows with Concord throughout a tightly contested second frame. Key kills from Cudnik and Hill—both set up by Dakoda Keni—kept West Liberty within striking distance. WLU fought back to tie the set at 18–18, sparked by strong defensive play and a momentum-turning kill from Amira DuPree. But in the closing moments, Concord capitalized on a string of WLU errors to edge out a 2–0 match lead.
Set 3 – WLU 25, Concord 21
West Liberty responded with its best stretch of the day. McAtee opened the scoring with a kill, and after Concord pulled even at 8–8, the Hilltoppers surged ahead behind kills from DuPree and Cudnik. A decisive 5–0 run, punctuated by a Keni kill and several Concord miscues, broke the set open. Hill put down the final point to give WLU new life.
Set 4 – WLU 25, Concord 18
The Hilltoppers carried their momentum into the fourth set, racing to an 18–11 lead. Cudnik, McAtee, and DuPree each delivered multiple kills, while Dart added a key service ace. Staib and Hill kept the pressure on late, and DuPree sealed the set with another kill to send the match to a decisive fifth.
Set 5 – Concord 17, WLU 15
The final set lived up to the moment. West Liberty stormed ahead 3–0 behind two McAtee kills from Dart. Concord clawed back to even the score at 9–9, and from there the teams traded point-for-point in a tense finish. DuPree, Cudnik, and Keni all delivered clutch swings, and the Hilltoppers fought off match points to tie it at 14–14. But Concord found the final two points it needed, taking the set 17–15 and the match 3–2.
Hilltopper Stat Leaders
West Liberty concludes the season with an 18–13 overall record.
