WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — West Liberty opened the West Liberty Invitational in style Friday afternoon, sweeping California (Pa.) 26-24, 25-20, 25-20 at the ASRC.

The Hilltoppers (1-0 in the tournament) combined offensive firepower with strong defensive play, racking up 52 kills on a .257 hitting percentage while limiting the Vulcans to .164. West Liberty also controlled the net with seven blocks, setting the tone in the straight-set victory.

The opening set proved to be the tightest battle of the afternoon. After falling behind 6-3, Grace Hill sparked a rally with three straight kills to give WLU the lead. Tied at 24-24, the Hilltoppers closed it out behind an Ashley Cudnik kill and a Cal U attack error, pulling out the 26-24 win.

West Liberty rode that momentum into the second set, jumping ahead early behind service aces from Dakoda and Sidney Keni. Setter Olivia Beldean directed the offense with precision, finding Cudnik and Hill for timely kills to keep the hosts in front. The Vulcans tried to close the gap late, but Cudnik delivered the set-clinching kill for a 25-20 victory.

The Hilltoppers sealed the match in the third set with another balanced effort. Sidney Keni opened the scoring with a kill, while Hill and Cudnik provided consistent offense throughout. A service ace from Bella Dart pushed the lead to 20-14 before Liv McAtee finished the sweep with a decisive kill, closing the 25-20 set.

Cudnik paced the attack with 14 kills and nine digs, while Dakoda Keni dished out 23 assists and added 12 digs to match Dart. Hill was efficient at the net with eight kills and a .421 hitting percentage along with two blocks. Beldean chipped in 20 assists to round out the balanced offensive effort.

West Liberty returns to action Friday evening, taking on Clarion at 6 p.m. in its second match of the invitational.