WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — West Liberty returns to the court Tuesday evening when the Hilltoppers travel to Shepherd University for a non-conference matchup against the unbeaten Rams at 7 p.m. inside the Butcher Athletic Center.

West Liberty enters the match at 1-7 following its opening two weekends of tournament play. The Hilltoppers picked up their first victory of the season with a thrilling five-set win over Thomas More and also pushed Daemen to five sets before falling, 15-13, in the deciding set at last weekend's IUP Crimson Hawk Classic.

The Hilltoppers are coming off straight-set setbacks against Lake Erie and Ashland on Saturday after falling to Indiana (Pa.) and Daemen on Friday.

Despite the early-season record, West Liberty has several players producing solid numbers.

Amira DuPree leads the Hilltoppers with 79 kills and is averaging 2.82 kills per set. Julia Birck has added 39 kills, Sidney Keni has 38 and Adrienne Staib has 33. Birck is hitting .272, while Staib is hitting .209.

Dakoda Keni has directed the Hilltopper offense with 131 assists, averaging 4.68 per set, while Taylor Speake leads the defensive effort with 53 digs and a 3.79 digs-per-set average. DuPree has also contributed 71 digs.

West Liberty has totaled 277 kills and 260 assists through 28 sets while averaging 13.8 digs per set. The Hilltoppers have also recorded 39 service aces and 33 total blocks.

Shepherd presents a formidable challenge.

The Rams enter Tuesday's match with a perfect 7-0 record after winning all seven of their matches to open the season. Shepherd has dropped just one set, taking five of its seven victories in straight sets. The Rams most recently swept West Virginia State, 25-12, 25-19, 25-12, on Saturday.

Shepherd has been particularly efficient offensively, hitting .280 as a team with 282 kills through 22 sets. The Rams are averaging 12.8 kills and 11.5 assists per set while also averaging 16.2 digs and 3.0 service aces per set.

Ada McCoy leads Shepherd with 60 kills and is averaging 3.33 kills per set. Mikayla Riehl has added 51 kills while hitting .293, while Amya Davis has 52 kills and a .301 hitting percentage. Sophia Ryan has contributed 45 kills while hitting a team-best .415.

Maggie Smith has been the Rams' primary setter with 203 assists, averaging 9.67 per set. Alexa Smith leads Shepherd with 79 digs, while Vitoria Villa has added 61.

Shepherd has also recorded 39 total blocks through seven matches, led by Ryan's 17.0 and McCoy's 11.0.

Tuesday's match will be the first meeting between the programs since 2018. West Liberty won the most recent meeting in West Liberty, 3-1, on Sept. 15, 2018.

Following Tuesday's match, West Liberty will return home to open to host the West Liberty Invitational at the ASRC. The Hilltoppers host California (Pa.) at 10 a.m. and Clarion at 3 p.m. Friday before facing Gannon at noon and Shippensburg at 5 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.