COLUMBUS, Ohio — The West Liberty University volleyball team battled back from multiple deficits Tuesday night but dropped a 3-1 decision to Ohio Dominican at Alumni Hall.
The Hilltoppers fell by set scores of 23-25, 25-17, 28-30 and 19-25.
West Liberty finished with 51 kills and 76 digs while hitting .167 for the match. Ohio Dominican recorded 48 kills and 61 digs while hitting .140. The Panthers held the edge at the service line with nine aces to four for the Hilltoppers, who committed 13 service errors.
Amira DuPree led West Liberty with 13 kills and added 18 digs.
Taylor Speake collected a team-high 25 digs, while
Dakoda Keni finished with 33 assists and 16 digs.
Adrienne Staib recorded six kills and six total blocks, including one solo block.
The Hilltoppers used a strong second-set performance to even the match. West Liberty hit .412 in the set, recording 14 kills without an attack error.
After Ohio Dominican took an early 13-10 lead, the Hilltoppers answered with six straight points to take a 19-10 advantage. Staib served five consecutive points during the run, with
Julia Birck recording two kills and teaming with
Giana Bogunovich for a block. DuPree later finished the set with a kill from
Dakoda Keni to give West Liberty a 25-17 win.
West Liberty nearly completed another comeback in the opening set after falling behind 14-9. A DuPree kill and a block from
Sidney Keni and Staib helped cut the deficit to two, and the Hilltoppers scored three straight late in the set to pull within 24-23. Bogunovich finished the run with a kill from Staib, but Ohio Dominican scored the next point to take the opener, 25-23.
The third set featured another Hilltopper comeback. West Liberty trailed 12-7 before winning seven of the next eight rallies to move in front 14-13. DuPree recorded three kills during the surge.
The Hilltoppers continued to battle in the closing stages, taking a 25-24 lead on a
Sidney Keni kill and moving ahead 28-27 on a Birck block. Ohio Dominican, however, scored the final three points to claim the marathon set, 30-28.
West Liberty again erased an early deficit in the fourth set, turning a 12-6 hole into a 14-13 lead. The Hilltoppers won four straight points on
Dakoda Keni's serve, with
Sidney Keni recording three consecutive kills during the run.
Ohio Dominican answered after the teams traded points, scoring six straight to build a 22-15 advantage. West Liberty pulled within 16-15 earlier in the stretch but could not complete another comeback as the Panthers closed out the match, 25-19.
The Hilltoppers return home Friday for a Mountain East Conference matchup against Charleston. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the ASRC "Academic Sports & Recreation Complex."
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.
