FAIRMONT, W.Va. — The West Liberty University volleyball team pushed Fairmont State to the limit on Tuesday night, but the Fighting Falcons held off a late Hilltopper surge to earn a five-set victory at Joe Retton Arena. Set scores were 25-23, 25-22, 24-26, 22-25, and 10-15.

West Liberty (16-12, 8-4) came out strong, claiming the first two sets behind a balanced offensive attack and solid net play before Fairmont State (20-9, 8-4) rallied to take the final three frames. The Hilltoppers finished the match with 62 kills, 101 digs, and 12 team blocks, while Fairmont totaled 69 kills and 15 blocks in front of a home crowd of 135.

In the opening set, West Liberty used early kills from Adrienne Staib and Ashley Cudnik and an ace from Kyia White to grab a 3–0 lead. After falling behind late, the Hilltoppers surged back with key blocks by Grace Hill and Cudnik to take the frame, 25–23. The second set followed a similar script as WLU overcame several ties, highlighted by a Cudnik ace and a kill from Liv McAtee, to secure a 25–22 win and a 2–0 match advantage.

Fairmont State responded by edging out the third set, 26–24, despite multiple ties and strong play from Hill and McAtee at the net. The Falcons carried that momentum into the fourth, erasing a 7–2 Hilltopper lead to even the match with a 25–22 decision.

The decisive fifth set saw West Liberty jump ahead on another Cudnik kill before Fairmont took control with a mid-set run. The Hilltoppers closed the gap to 12–10 behind kills from Cudnik and Staib, but the Falcons sealed the win with a final block to claim the match.

Cudnik led all attackers with 21 kills and 17 digs, finishing with 23.5 points. Hill hit .435 with 13 kills and a match-high nine blocks, while Dakoda Keni directed the offense with 56 assists and added 15 digs. White anchored the defense with a team-best 28 digs and five blocks.

West Liberty returns home on Tuesday, Nov. 11, to host Frostburg State at 7 p.m. inside the ASRC.