Charleston, W.Va. — The University of Charleston Golden Eagles hosted the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets in conference play Tuesday night at the Wehrle Innovation Center. Every time these two teams meet, the competition seems to rise, and this matchup was no exception. Charleston battled through an intense four-set match to defend its home court with a 3–1 victory.

The Basics:
Location: Wehrle Innovation Center
Score: UC 3-1 (25-27, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22)
Records: Charleston 12-9 (5-1 MEC); West Virginia ST. 7-10 (2-4 MEC)

How it Happened:
As expected, the opening set was tightly contested, with ties at 4–4, 8–8, and 11–11. The Yellow Jackets pulled ahead by a slim margin before a service ace by Sophia Knowles and a block from Abby Avila and Kate Strong brought things back even at 18–18. Charleston built some late momentum, but an error allowed WVSU to tie the set at 24–24. The Yellow Jackets held on to take the opener 27–25, giving fans an early glimpse of how competitive the night would be.

After dropping set one, the Golden Eagles came out strong in the second. UC jumped to a 4–1 lead, forcing WVSU to play from behind. The Yellow Jackets fought back to even things at 10–10, and the score remained tight at 16–16 until Kalista Milne caught fire from the service line, recording three aces. That surge pushed UC ahead for good, taking set two 25–19 to even the match.

Set three was another nail-biter, defined by long rallies and strong defensive play from both sides. The score remained close throughout, tied at 14–14 and again at 18–18. With the margin razor-thin, Charleston capitalized on two late WVSU errors to take a 23–20 lead. That cushion proved enough, as UC closed out the set 25–23 to go up 2–1.

In the fourth and final set, neither team allowed the other to gain comfort early, staying tied at 11–11. The Yellow Jackets then went on a five-point run to lead 16–11, appearing ready to force a decisive fifth set. However, Charleston quickly responded with a six-point run of its own, fueled by two shared blocks, kills from Patrycja Majos and Sophia Knowles, and a WVSU error. The set once again tightened at 22–22 before the Golden Eagles sealed the match with three straight kills, earning a 25–22 win and a 3–1 match victory.

Charleston's win adds another conference victory to their season record, highlighted by composure, defense, and timely execution in front of their home crowd.

Offensive Leaders
Sophia Knowles led the Golden Eagles' attack with 13 kills, followed closely by Patrycja Majos with 12 and Divine Muo with 11. Kalista Milne was strong from the service line with 4 aces, while Knowles added 3 and Abby Avila chipped in 1. At the net, Avila, Muo, and Kate Strong each recorded 4 blocks. Avila also directed the offense with 40 assists, while Chloe Fortner and Catalina Albores added 7 and 2 assists respectively.

Defensive Leaders
Chloe Fortner anchored the defense with 20 digs, followed by Abby Avila with 17 and Catalina Albores with 9.
 
 
Up Next:
Charleston volleyball will head to Frostburg, MD to face off against Frostburg State University in the Bobcat Arena Oct 17^th at 7:00PM.