INDIANAPOLIS — The West Liberty University volleyball team split a pair of matches Saturday at the Ruth Lilly Center, rallying for a thrilling five-set victory over Thomas More University before falling to Walsh University in straight sets.
The Hilltoppers opened the day with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Thomas More, winning the deciding fifth set 19-17 to improve to 1-2 on the season.
West Liberty dropped the opening two sets, 25-22 and 25-20, but battled back to take the third and fourth sets by identical 25-22 and 26-24 scores.
The Hilltoppers took advantage of Thomas More errors and a strong service game in the third set.
Lily Brinker recorded a service ace, while
Aleya Baptiste added a key kill before
Adrienne Staib and
Ava Trentman delivered late kills to secure the 25-22 win.
West Liberty continued its comeback in the fourth set.
Addyson Lewis recorded two service aces to help the Hilltoppers build a 20-16 advantage, while
Julia Birck came through with important kills. Thomas More rallied to tie the set at 22-22, but Baptiste and Staib helped West Liberty close out the 26-24 victory and force a fifth set.
The deciding set featured several momentum swings before West Liberty prevailed 19-17.
Amira DuPree came through with multiple clutch kills, including the point that tied the set at 14-14 and another that broke a 17-17 deadlock. The Hilltoppers also capitalized on Thomas More attack errors and timely service play to complete the comeback.
Dakoda Keni finished with 33 assists and 15 digs, while DuPree posted 15 kills and 23 digs. Birck added 14 kills while hitting .464 and contributed six total blocks. Brinker anchored the defense with 25 digs.
West Liberty returned to action later Saturday against Walsh, falling to the Cavaliers in straight sets, 25-21, 25-17, 25-17.
The Hilltoppers stayed competitive throughout the opening set, with DuPree, Baptiste and Birck contributing kills. A service ace from
Jessa Anderson also helped West Liberty remain within striking distance, but Walsh closed the set with a late run to take it 25-21.
West Liberty again battled in the second set. A kill from Staib helped keep the score close early, while Baptiste sparked a brief run that gave the Hilltoppers a 4-2 advantage. Walsh answered with an 8-4 run and later pulled away despite West Liberty cutting the deficit to 15-14. The Cavaliers closed out the set 25-17.
The Hilltoppers opened the third set with a 3-0 lead behind kills from
Ava Trentman and DuPree, both assisted by Keni. Walsh quickly answered and tied the score at 5-5 before West Liberty briefly regained an 8-7 advantage.
The Cavaliers responded with another run, however, and closed out the set 25-17 to complete the sweep.
DuPree led West Liberty with 11 kills and 10 digs against Walsh, while Brinker added 15 digs. Keni recorded 15 assists and five digs, and Lewis finished with a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage with one kill on one attempt.
The split leaves West Liberty at 1-3 overall heading into the Hilltoppers' next tournament.
NEXT UP: West Liberty will compete in the IUP Invitational Sept. 4-5 at the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex in Indiana, Pa. The Hilltoppers face IUP at 11 a.m. and Daemen at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by Lake Erie at 9 a.m. and Ashland at 3 p.m. Saturday.
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.
