ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team overcame a first set loss as it downed UVa.-Wise in four games Tuesday night in Mountain East Conference play at the Carter Center.
UVa.-Wise (6-23, 2-13 MEC) won the first set 25-17, but CU (13-18, 7-7 MEC) rebounded to take the next three games 28-26, 25-13, 25-22.
After the Cavaliers controlled most of the first set, the second game was back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than three points in any instance. Down 25-24, sophomore outside hitter Ellie Lawrence recorded her first kill of the match to knot the game. Both teams would score a point to even the set at 26-26, but back-to-back errors from UVa.-Wise tied the match at 1-1 as Concord took the game 28-26.
Up five points, 15-10, in the third set, the Mountain Lions were able to pull away from UVa.-Wise for a convincing win. Concord scored 12 of the final 15 points in the set. The run from CU was well-balanced as junior middle hitter Brooke Heck, senior middle hitter
Shea Hoffman, sophomore setter Jenna Mounts and junior outside hitter Alexi Pranckus all had a kill each.
Although Concord won the second and third sets, UVa.-Wise did not go away quietly in the fourth game. The Mountain Lions raced out to a 10-5 edge in the set after consecutive kills from Heck. But, the Cavaliers fought back with their own 10-5 spurt to even the set at 15-15. The teams would split the next 10 points to keep the set tied, 20-20. A kill from Heck and an error by the Cavaliers put CU up 22-20. Pranckus closed the match with three consecutive kills to lift Concord to a three-point win in the set.
Heck led all CU players with 19 kills while hitting .424. The Huntington, West Virginia native tallied a season high in kills and was just one off of tying her career high.
Both Concord setters—senior
Casey Mandeville and Mounts—each recorded double-doubles. Mandeville went 33 assists and 13 digs. Mounts added 21 assists and 12 digs.
Sophomore middle hitter Emily Ellis finished the matched with 12 kills and six blocks to tie Heck for the team best. Pranckus notched 11 kills and seven digs.
Hoffman came up with six kills, a .556 hitting percentage and five blocks.
The Mountain Lions welcome West Virginia State to the Carter Center 7:00 p.m. Friday. Before the match, Hoffman, senior outside hitter
Felicia Huerta and Mandeville will be recognized
