CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston (8-6, 1-0 MEC) swept West Liberty (6-9, 0-1 MEC) in three sets, 25-17, 25-18, 25-20, on Friday night at the Wehrle Innovation Center. Charleston's attack was led by a 14-kill performance in the third set, contributing to their .222 hitting percentage for the match. West Liberty registered eight total blocks in the contest but was unable to overcome Charleston's offensive output.

The first set began with West Liberty gaining an early advantage after a service error by Charleston's Abby Avila, followed by a block from Liv McAtee, bringing the score to 3-0. West Liberty maintained a narrow lead through solid defensive plays, including a block by Olivia Beldean that helped push the score to 7-5.

Charleston responded with a series of kills from Julie Michalkova and Avila, leveling the score multiple times. Despite West Liberty's efforts, including kills by Grace Hill and Kyia White, the Golden Eagles reclaimed momentum with a 6-0 run, extending their lead to 19-13.

West Liberty fought back with contributions from White and a service ace by Dakoda Keni, closing the gap slightly to 20-17. However, Charleston closed the set with a series of successful attacks, culminating in a kill by Divine Muo, to secure a 25-17 victory in the first set.

The second set began with West Liberty gaining momentum through an early kill by White, assisted by Keni. A series of blocks by McAtee and Adrienne Staib helped West Liberty establish a brief lead at 4-2. However, the Golden Eagles responded with a service ace and blocks, leveling the score at multiple points.

West Liberty maintained pressure with key kills from McAtee and Ashley Cudnik, staying within reach throughout the set. Despite a late push featuring a kill by Hill, Charleston capitalized on attack errors by West Liberty and secured the set with a final score of 25-18.

The third set began with Charleston capitalizing on early errors by West Liberty to take a 3-1 lead. West Liberty responded with a block by Hill against Muo and a kill by Amira DuPree to keep the score close at 5-4. However, Charleston extended their lead to 9-5 with a series of points, including a kill by Michalkova and an attack error from West Liberty's Cudnik.

West Liberty managed a mid-period rally, with McAtee and Cudnik securing kills to narrow the gap to 13-11. A subsequent series of errors from Charleston gave West Liberty an opportunity to keep the score tight, moving to 16-14. Despite the efforts of McAtee and Hill, who each added kills late in the set, West Liberty could not overcome the deficit.

Charleston closed the set with a final push, scoring the last five points, which included kills by Kate Strong and Muo, ending the third set 25-20 in favor of Charleston.

Keni led West Liberty with 13 assists over three sets, while also achieving a perfect 1.000 attack percentage. McAtee contributed significantly at the net, recording four kills alongside three solo blocks, tallying a total of seven points. Cudnik matched with 11 digs and added six kills, despite facing challenges in attack efficiency. Hill added defensive strength with one block and three kills, contributing four points overall.

The next challenge for West Liberty comes on Tuesday, as they host Salem at 7 p.m. at the ASRC.