Box Score

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - It took all the nerves she could muster, but head volleyball coach Bren Stevens' team pulled through in four sets to notch her 500th career victory against Alderson-Broaddus, Tuesday evening.

UC (10-13, 4-2) jumped on the Battlers (8-15, 3-3) right off the first serve using the momentum of the big night as their catalyst to for AB into seven errors into the first set. The Golden Eagles set the tone early with their best set of the night as they hit .250 with just three errors as they were not threatened in a 25-19 win for a 1-0 lead.

Alderson-Broaddus was determined to rain on Coach Stevens' parade as they regrouped in set two to out hit Charleston 28 percent to 25 percent, cleaning up their own mistakes that doomed the nights opening set. AB ran out to a 9-3 advantage before a timeout from Stevens allowed the home team to evaluate what was on the line. UC whittled away at the lead in front of a rowdy crowd of well over 250 before Malleri Hardison (Uniontown, PA ) provided a highlight reel slam to tie the game at 21-21.

The two teams traded points to setup the inevitable need for extra points to decide the pivotal game in the match. After an Alderson-Broaddus timeout with the score set at 24-24 the night's leading scorer Lora Goss (Birmingham, AL) struck to hand possession to UC headed into the final point. Goss was next in line to serve and wasted no time in putting the game away by placing a hard-hit ball to the back line that the Battlers couldn't corral, recording the ace for the final point (26-24). Goss led all Charleston hitters on the evening with 12 kills, four aces and three digs.

Behind an outstanding offensive effort that saw the Battlers book a .412 hitting percentage the visitors made an attempt to creep back into the match with a 25-21 win in set three. UC had its worst offensive effort (.182) in the same game to delay Stevens' celebration for another set.

Alderson-Broaddus played with passion in the fourth set to show they were not to be taken lightly and are still a contender within the West Virginia Conference with the Golden Eagles finding themselves down 10-5 quickly. Just as in the second set Charleston continued to pressure the net forcing hitting errors, while calmly chipping away at the deficit in front of them. In a mirror image of set two the teams found a tied scoreboard at 19-19 when freshman Julia Moskal (Ontario, Canada) took a great pass from Kelsey Eby (Portland, OR) and drove home the tying point.

In another scary coincidence as in set two the teams were knotted at 24-24 when Goss again delivered the go-ahead point and possession for the final attempt at handing the long-time UC coach win No. 500. This time Hardison provided the highlight with a slam down the middle of the court off a Katie Williams (Gettysburg, PA ) set that sent a deafening roar thru Eddie King Gym. With the Hardison kill Coach Stevens stormed the court to join her team in celebration of a milestone victory.

"These girls played their hearts out tonight and I'm really proud of them for fighting for this win all night" stated Coach Stevens. "The ladies pulled it together tonight to help me get this 500th win, I'm pumped up and couldn't be happier."

The University of Charleston's offense on the night was balanced with four players trailing just behind Goss offensively. Brenna Youlton (Ontario, Canada ) continued her mid-season tear finishing tied with Moskal at nine kills with each player hitting .350 on the evening. Cara Hibbs-Leyva (San Diego, CA ) and Hardison followed just behind at eight kills each. Williams and Eby continued to be a dangerous duo on the floor with 26 and 16 assists.

Charleston now hits the road to take on WVIAC contender Pitt-Johnstown at 6:00 pm on Thursday, Oct. 14.