Concord Falls Short at West Virginia Wesleyan

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team lost to West Virginia Wesleyan 3-2 in five sets Tuesday evening in a Mountain East Conference contest held at the Rockefeller Center.
 
The final set scores were 17-25, 26-24, 20-25, 25-13, 15-10,

CU falls to 7-11 on the season and 2-2 in MEC play. West Virginia Wesleyan improves to 12-5 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
 
Set 1
It was sophomore right side Natalie Brown that got the Mountain Lions going at the start of the game as they trailed 5-3. Then, sophomore outside hitter Meg Williams swung for a pair of kills that kept CU close, 8-6. Sophomore outside hitter Chloe Thompson added two kills in the frame but the Bobcats extended their lead on their way to an eight-point win.
 
Set 2
Thompson and Williams kept CU within reach early in the second game of the match, 9-6. At one point, West Virginia Wesleyan owned a 17-8 advantage, but it was a trio of Concord runs that would be the difference. Pilant hammered two kills in the first scoring spurt to bring CU within four, 20-16. Then, Brown and sophomore middle hitter Jasmine Anderson combined for a block while Brown hit for another kill on the next rally to cut WVWC's edge to just two. Down 24-21, the Mountain Lions rattled off five-straight points to knot the match 1-1. Anderson had the final kill of the frame as the scoreboard read 26-24.
 
Set 3
The Bobcats committed two attack errors to start the third set as CU grabbed a 3-1 edge. West Virginia Wesleyan, however, gained control midway through to lead 12-7. Thompson and Pilant added kills as the teams traded points and CU got within four, 14-10. After WVWC led by five, CU scored five straight to tie the frame at 19-19. Stull and Thompson provided kills during the run and sophomore setter Paige Richmond served an ace. The spurt was not enough as WVWC led 2-1.
 
Set 4
CU jumped out to a 5-0 advantage after three attack Bobcats' attack errors and swings from Thompson and Williams. Then, leading 8-6, Concord scored six straight points to spring a 14-8 edge. Brown smashed two kills during the run and Williams served the first of her three aces in the contest. Thompson, Pilant, and Williams hammered home points to extend the lead to 19-10. Williams capped off the frame with another service ace as the Mountain Lions forced a winner-take-all fifth set, 25-13.
 
Set 5
Both teams jockeyed for position early in the fifth game, but it was WVWC that gained control 8-5 as the benches swapped. CU was never able to gain a lead from there. Thomson hit for four kills in the final set of action, but West Virginia Wesleyan closed out the contest 15-10.
 
Match Stats
Williams notched a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs. Thompson led all Mountain Lions with 16 kills on a .326 hitting percentage. For the match, CU hit .245 as a team. Brown tied her career-high of six blocks followed by Pilant with five. Sophomore defensive specialist Allie Davis finished the match with 19 digs.
 
The Mountain Lions return to the Carter Center Thursday to host Davis & Elkins at 7:00 p.m.