Concord Comes Up Short at Wheeling

WHEELING, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team fell to Wheeling 3-1 in a Mountain East Conference contest at the McDonough Center Friday evening.
 
With the loss, CU falls to 12-12 overall on the season and 5-3 in the MEC while Wheeling moves to 15-8 and 7-1 in conference play. The final set scores were 25-21, 22-25, 13-25, and 12-25.
 
Set 1
Senior middle hitter Kyndra Pilant got CU on the board early as both teams were tied 2-2. After WU took an 8-2 lead, sophomore outside hitter Chloe Thompson and sophomore right side Natalie Brown brought the Mountain Lions within four, 9-5. Then, a pair of blocks led by sophomore middle hitter Jasmine Anderson made the score 11-8. Pilant swung for another kill then teamed up with Brown on a block that tied the frame 14-14. As Wheeling led 20-18, a 5-0 run gave Concord its first lead of the match. Sophomore outside hitter Meg Williams hammered three kills in a row to get the spurt started. Williams smashed her fourth kill of the game to give CU a 1-0 lead, 25-21.
 
Set 2
The Mountain Lions kept their momentum going into the second set, scoring the first three points to grab an early advantage. Pilant, Brown, and Anderson provided a trio of kills to cool the Cardinals' scoring attack as the Maroon and Gray trailed 8-6. Then, a service ace from Thompson and a kill from Williams brought Concord within one, 11-10. Pilant kickstarted another Mountain Lions' scoring run to retake the lead, 17-14. Williams served two aces and Thompson added a kill to complete the run. However, a late Wheeling charge tied the match 1-1.
 
Set 3
Williams and Anderson added a pair of early kills to grab a 4-2 advantage. Brown held off an impending Wheeling charge to hold a one-point lead, 6-5. Thompson and Williams provided two kills each as WU took control of the match 2-1.
 
Set 4
Concord came out swinging early on yet again, with Pilant providing a block and a kill, and an ace from Williams to lead 4-1. A kill from Thompson and a Cardinals' attack error kept CU close, 8-7. Pilant swatted another block, this time teaming up with freshman Maddie Stull as the Mountain Lions trailed 15-10. A late scoring spurt from the Cardinals closed out the match, 3-1.
 
Match Stats
Thompson (11) and Pilant (10) finished with double-digit kills. Pilant led the way defensively, picking up six blocks followed by Brown with three. Williams served three of CU's six aces in the contest. Sophomore defensive specialist Allie Davis tallied 20 digs.
 
The Mountain Lions wrap up their three-game road stretch with MEC opponent West Liberty Saturday at 1:00 p.m.