Box Score
ATHENS, W. Va. – Senior middle hitter
Jasmin Sutherland posted a double-double of 13 kills and a career-high 11 blocks and junior outside hitter
Brytni Willis matched a personal-best with 17 kills to guide the Concord University volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over Glenville State in the opening round of the Mountain East Conference Tournament Tuesday night at the Carter Center.
The victory improves Concord's record to 16-16 on the season. The 16 wins are the most for the program since CU won 20 matches in 2002. The Mountain Lions will take on Fairmont State 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the MEC quarterfinals at the McDonough Center on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University.
Concord opened up a 10-5 lead in the first set and withstood a late Glenville comeback attempt to win the opener 26-24. The Lady Pioneers rebounded in the second set with a convincing 25-19 victory, evening the match at 1-1.
Glenville State proceeded to take a 15-10 lead at the start of the third set only to be upended by Concord thanks to a 12-3 Mountain Lion run at the end of the frame that gave the Maroon and Gray a 25-22 set win and a 2-1 lead in the match. The Mountain Lions never trailed in the fourth and deciding set en route to the 25-21 win that punched Concord's ticket for the second round of the MEC Tournament.
Sutherland had what was arguably her most dominant performance in her Mountain Lion career when it mattered most. For the match, she compiled an attack percentage of .307 in addition to her double-double performance. Sutherland's 11 blocks came off of two solo rejections and nine assisted stops.
After a quiet six kills in the first two sets, Willis came alive with 11 kills over the match's final two games to help ensure the Concord victory.
Sutherland and Willis were aided on the Concord attack by junior middle hitter
Sarah Jones and senior middle hitter
Rebecca Lovejoy. The duo registered eight and six kills respectively, with Jones also tallying six blocks (one solo / five assisted).
Junior setters
Amanda Walker and
Nikki McMillan handed out 21 and 20 assists each plus combined for five aces with three by Walker and two from McMillan, who also made 11 digs for her ninth double-double of the year.
Junior libero
Lindsey Smith rounded out Concord's top contributors on the night with a team-high 16 digs.
Glenville State was led by Dejana Ludoski, who had 17 kills and 16 digs in the losing effort.
The Concord – Fairmont State quarterfinal contest will be a rematch from the two schools' showdown from earlier in the season which resulted in a 3-1 triumph for the Fighting Falcons on Sept. 28 at the Carter Center.
