WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University volleyball team gave its home crowd plenty to cheer about Tuesday night, taking down Malone, 3-1, in the Hilltoppers' home opener at the ASRC. Scores were 25-15, 24-26, 25-19, 25-15.

With the win, West Liberty (2-3) picked up its second victory of the season, while Malone (0-4) is still searching for its first.

Outside hitter Ashley Cudnik led the charge with 18 kills on .308 hitting, including six in the decisive fourth set. She was supported by Liv McAtee (8 kills) and Grace Hill (7 kills, .429) on the attack. Setter Dakoda Keni ran the offense with 32 assists and chipped in 4 kills and 2 aces, while libero Bella Dart anchored the defense with a team-high 17 digs.

After cruising through the opening set, the Hilltoppers dropped a tight 26-24 battle in the second frame. West Liberty regrouped quickly, using strong net play from Adrienne Staib (5 kills, 4 blocks) and efficient hitting across the lineup to win the final two sets comfortably. The Black and Gold hit .314 in the fourth set to close out the match.

West Liberty finished with the advantage in nearly every category, outpacing the Pioneers in kills (52-36), assists (51-35), digs (64-42), and hitting percentage (.194 to .114).

The Hilltoppers return to the court this weekend at the Cedarville Invitational.