WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — The West Liberty University volleyball team opened its Homecoming weekend with a 3-0 sweep of Shawnee State on Friday night at the Academic Sports and Recreation Complex, winning by set scores of 25-20, 25-22 and 25-16.
The Hilltoppers (7-16, 6-3 MEC) finished with 45 kills and nine service aces while holding the Bears (7-14, 2-7 MEC) to a .097 hitting percentage. West Liberty hit .231 for the match, compared with .097 for Shawnee State, and also held an 8-1 advantage in service aces.
West Liberty came up big late in the opening set, winning seven of the final eight rallies after trailing 19-18.
Taylor Speake delivered back-to-back service aces to give the Hilltoppers a 21-19 advantage, and West Liberty closed out the set with a strong finish to secure the 25-20 win.
Dakoda Keni added a service ace,
Sidney Keni contributed a kill and
Adrienne Staib capped the stretch with a block.
The second set featured another important Hilltopper run. After Shawnee State moved ahead 16-15, Staib tied the score with a kill before
Dakoda Keni served five consecutive points to help West Liberty build a 21-16 lead. Staib contributed a block and two kills during the stretch, and
Sidney Keni finished the set with a kill off an assist from Speake for a 25-22 victory.
West Liberty took control early in the third set, building a 9-2 lead behind kills from
Amira DuPree,
Sidney Keni,
Dakoda Keni,
Aleya Baptiste and
Julia Birck. The Bears pulled within 12-8, but the Hilltoppers responded with kills from Staib and
Sidney Keni to maintain their advantage. West Liberty closed the match by scoring the final three points, including a
Dakoda Keni service ace and a DuPree kill off a Staib assist, to finish the sweep with a 25-16 decision.
Birck led the Hilltoppers with 12 kills while hitting .579.
Dakoda Keni recorded 35 assists, six digs, four kills and two service aces, while Speake added five aces and 14 digs. DuPree led West Liberty defensively with 16 digs and contributed eight kills.
The Hilltoppers will return to the court Saturday morning for their Homecoming matchup against Concord. First serve is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the ASRC.
West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at
westliberty.edu.
