West Liberty, W.Va. — The West Liberty University volleyball team will look to bounce back from a challenging nonconference slate when it opens Mountain East Conference play on Friday night at Charleston. First serve is set for 7 p.m. inside the Wehrle Innovation Center.

The Hilltoppers (6-8) enter the match after a tough stretch at their home invitational, but the numbers show a balanced team capable of competing with anyone. West Liberty is hitting .188 as a group, ranking fourth in the MEC, while averaging just under 12 kills per set. The Hilltoppers also hold a slight edge over opponents in digs (15.0 to 14.7 per set), showing consistency on the defensive side.

Individually, Ashley Cudnik leads the attack with 146 kills (2.98 per set), while Kyia White (2.19 k/s, 111.5 points) and Liv McAtee (102 kills, 2.00 k/s) provide depth at the net. Setter Dakoda Keni has been the engine of the offense, dishing out 284 assists (5.57 per set), while defensive specialist Bella Dart anchors the back row with 177 digs (3.47 per set).

Charleston (7-6) comes in riding a two-match winning streak and boasts one of the top serving games in the MEC. The Golden Eagles lead the league with 110 aces, averaging 2.68 per set, while also ranking third in kills per set (12.5). Defensively, Charleston has held opponents to just a .157 hitting percentage, good for fourth in the conference.

Friday's matchup will be a chance for West Liberty to slow down that attack with its blocking tandem of Grace Hill (36 blocks, .281 hitting percentage) and Adrienne Staib (30 blocks, .304 hitting). Both teams will also be looking to set the tone in a wide-open MEC race, as this weekend marks the start of league play across the conference.

After Friday's trip to Charleston, the Hilltoppers return home next Tuesday to host Salem at the ASRC.