Buckhannon, W.Va. – Charleston is heading to the MEC Championship match after taking down Concord 3–1 in a gritty semifinal battle. The Golden Eagles rallied in key moments throughout the night, closing out the final two sets with major momentum to secure their spot in the conference final.

The Basics:
Location: Rockefeller Center – Buckhannon, W.Va.
Score: Charleston 3, Concord 1 (24–26, 25–16, 25–17, 27–25)
Records: 22 UC 22–12 (11–4 MEC), Concord 21–9 (8–7 MEC)

How it Happened:
Set one went the way of the Mountain Lions despite Charleston's strong start. The Golden Eagles jumped out early and used a 6-point run to take a 10–5 lead. Concord answered with an 8–1 run to even the set at 11–11. The frame stayed tight all the way to 16–16 and again at 24–24, but Concord claimed the final two points to win the opener 26–24.

Charleston responded immediately in set two. UC struck first and scored eight of the opening ten points to build a 10–2 advantage. The Golden Eagles controlled the pace and reached 20 points while Concord sat at 12. UC closed the set on a 5–2 stretch to take a 25–16 win and tie the match 1–1. Set three opened evenly, with the teams locked at 4–4 and again at 10–10. Charleston took over from there, piecing together a 4-point run followed by a late 5-point push to extend the lead to 20–15. A service ace by Sophia Knowles sealed the set 25–17, putting UC ahead 2–1.

The fourth set was the definition of a thriller. Concord held the upper hand for most of the frame, pushing out to a 6-point lead as they looked to force a decisive fifth. Mid-set, Charleston began chipping away and eventually found themselves still trailing 23–18. The Golden Eagles then delivered a massive 7-point run behind key blocks from Kate Strong, Divine Muo, and Matea Cunningham to surge ahead. The set tied again at 24–24 and 25–25 before a Concord error and a kill from Patrycja Majos lifted UC to a 27–25 victory to clinch the match.
Stat Leaders:

Offensively, Patrycja Majos led all Golden Eagles with 17 kills on .326 hitting, followed by Divine Muo with 14 kills and Matea Cunningham with 13. Sophia Knowles added 8 kills and a service ace. Setter Abby Avila directed the attack with 49 assists.

Defensively, Chloe Fortner anchored the back row with 29 digs. Kate Strong totaled 4 blocks, while Knowles and Cunningham added 5 and 3 block assists, respectively.
 
Up Next:
Charleston advances to the MEC Championship match and will face West Virginia State at 6:00 p.m. at the Rockefeller Center in Buckhannon, W.Va.