BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team took down Mercer County rival Bluefield State 3-0 in a non-conference match held at Ned Shott Gymnasium Wednesday evening.
CU improves to 12-11 on the season while BSU falls to 10-14. The final set scores were 25-17, 25-18, 26-24.
Set 1
After the Big Blues scored the first two points of the match, Concord ripped off seven straight points to lead by five. Sophomore outside hitter
Meg Williams got the run started with a kill and also added two service aces. Sophomore right side
Natalie Brown picked up her third kill of the frame as CU held an 8-3 advantage. Then, sophomore outside hitter
Chloe Thompson swung for back-to-back kills to stop a BSU rally, 16-11. Williams, Thompson, and senior middle hitter
Kyndra Pilant all hit for kills late in the set to take a 1-0 lead, 25-17.
Set 2
BSU would claim the first point yet again, but the Mountain Lions scored six of the next seven points to grab a 6-2 edge. Three of the early points for CU came off Big Blues errors. After Bluefield State closed to within 6-5, sophomore middle hitter
Jasmine Anderson, Thompson, and freshman right side
Maddie Stull chipped in to extend the lead back to five, 10-5. Then, Thompson and Stull put a halt to a BSU run to bring the score to 14-10. Thompson swung for two more kills to cap off her six-kill frame to keep the Mountain Lions ahead by three, 21-18. A block from Stull and Pilant, as well as a kill from Willaims gave Concord a 2-0 edge in the match.
Set 3
Both teams went back-and-forth for control early in set three, but two kills each from Pilant and Brown saw CU trail by one, 5-4. Then, two BSU attack errors and an ace from sophomore setter
Declyn Tooze put the Maroon and Gray ahead 7-5. Thompson collected another kill that gave CU a one-point edge, 10-9. The Big Blues and the Mountain Lions traded points yet again, but a pair of kills from Stull extended the advantage to four, 20-16. Bluefield State stormed back to take a 21-20 lead, but back-to-back blocks from Pilant and Brown put CU back in the driver's seat, 23-21. With the frame tied 24-24, Brown smashed her ninth and final kill of the game followed by a BSU attack error to complete the 3-0 sweep, 26-24.
Match Stats
Thompson was the only Mountain Lion in double figures, finishing with 13 kills. Brown added three blocks to her nine kills. Sophomore setter
Paige Richmond added 23 assists and five digs. Pilant swatted away six blocks and sophomore defensive specialist
Allie Davis collected 21 digs defensively.
The Mountain Lions play the second game of their three-game road stretch against Mountain East Conference opponent Wheeling Friday at 7:00 p.m.
