INDIANAPOLIS — The West Liberty University volleyball team dropped a pair of matches Friday at the Ruth Lilly Center, falling to Saginaw Valley State University in straight sets before being defeated by host Indianapolis in the second match of the day.
The Hilltoppers opened the day against Saginaw Valley State, dropping the match 25-12, 25-17, 25-14 to fall to 0-1 on the season.
West Liberty battled through the opening set behind kills from
Adrienne Staib and
Dakoda Keni, but Saginaw Valley State capitalized on Hilltopper errors and pulled away for a 25-12 win.
The second set featured a stronger start from West Liberty, with Keni and
Jessa Anderson each recording service aces.
Amira DuPree and
Giana Bogunovich added kills, while Staib and
Emma Lewis contributed blocks as the Hilltoppers battled to stay within reach. Saginaw Valley State eventually pulled away to take the set 25-17.
The Hilltoppers continued to fight in the third set, getting kills from Keni and
Kaelynn Burge while narrowing the deficit late. DuPree and Keni helped West Liberty cut into the Saginaw Valley State advantage, but the Cardinals closed out the match with a 25-14 third-set victory.
Keni led the Hilltoppers with a .800 hitting percentage, recording four kills on five attempts without an error. Burge was a perfect 2-for-2 on attacks, while Staib recorded four block assists.
Lily Brinker anchored the back row with nine digs.
West Liberty returned to the court later Friday against Indianapolis and suffered another straight-set setback, 25-12, 25-12, 25-17.
The Greyhounds controlled the opening two sets, but West Liberty continued to compete throughout the match. DuPree and Keni provided early kills in the first set, while UIndy used a consistent offensive attack to take a 25-12 win.
The Hilltoppers fell behind early in the second set before DuPree stopped the Greyhounds' run with a kill. West Liberty made a late push behind points from
Julia Birck and a service ace from Staib, but Indianapolis maintained control to take the set 25-12.
West Liberty showed its strongest offensive performance of the match in the third set, hitting .321. DuPree opened the scoring with a service ace, while Keni and
Ava Trentman added kills. Birck and Burge helped the Hilltoppers close the gap to 10-14 midway through the set.
The Greyhounds responded with another offensive surge, however, and held on for a 25-17 victory to complete the sweep.
DuPree led West Liberty with 11 kills and added 10 digs. Keni hit .750 with three kills and recorded eight assists, while Birck finished with four kills, a solo block and five points. Staib contributed three kills and three total blocks.
The Hilltoppers will have two more matches Saturday at the Ruth Lilly Fitness Center, beginning with an 11:30 a.m. matchup against Thomas More before closing the day against Walsh at 4:30 p.m.
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.
