Indiana, PA – Charleston wrapped up day two of the IUP Invitational with a hard-fought split. The Golden Eagles battled closely with Shepherd in a four-set match but came up just short despite strong individual performances. Later in the day, Charleston bounced back with a convincing 3–1 victory over Chestnut Hill, closing the tournament on a high note and regaining momentum heading into the next stretch of the season.

Game 1
The Basics:
Location: Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex
Score: 3-1 Rams (25-22, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23)
Records: UC 5-6 (0-0 MEC), Shepherd 9-1 (0-0 PSAC)
 
How it Happened:
Charleston's first match on day two of the IUP Invitational came against Shepherd University, where the Golden Eagles fell in a tight 3–1 battle with set scores of 25–22, 25–23, 23–25, and 25–23. Shepherd jumped out quickly in the opening frame, going ahead 3–0 before kills from Divine Muo and Kate Strong pulled UC even at 4–4. The Rams stayed just ahead until Charleston tied the set at 14–14, and even briefly went in front 17–16. From there, Shepherd made a decisive five-point run to create separation and carried that late momentum to win 25–22.
Set two was another back-and-forth affair, as neither side could fully pull away. A kill from Abby Avila tied things at 9–9, and UC later erased a four-point deficit to even the score again at 17–17, with Muo fueling the rally with two kills of her own. The teams pushed all the way to a 23–23 tie in the final moments, but the Rams again found the late points they needed to edge Charleston 25–23.

With their backs against the wall, UC came alive in set three. After a 10–10 tie, the Golden Eagles caught fire with a seven-point run highlighted by strong serving from Chloe Fortner and Shepherd errors that UC capitalized on. The Rams made things interesting with a late push to tie it at 23–23, but Charleston stayed composed and finished the job with two big points to secure a 25–23 win. The Golden Eagles looked poised to force a fifth set after building a 23–19 lead in the fourth, but Shepherd stormed back with six unanswered points to steal the set 25–23 and seal the match.

Offense: Sophia Knowles, 16 kills; Divine Muo, 12 kills; Sophia Knowles, 6 aces; Chloe Fortner, 3 aces
Defense: Kate Strong, 3 blocks; Sophia Knowles, 2 blocks; Abby Avila, 42 assists and 12 digs; Chloe Fortner, 15 digs
 
Game 2
The Basics:
Location: Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex
Score: 3-1 UC (15-25, 13-25, 14-25, 16-25)
Records: UC 6-6 (0-0 MEC), Chestnut Hill College 2-6 (0-1 CACC)
 
How it Happened:
Charleston closed the tournament later in the day with a bounce-back win, taking down Chestnut Hill College 3–1 by scores of 15–25, 25–13, 25–14, and 25–16. The opening set belonged to Chestnut Hill, who took advantage of a sluggish UC start to build an 11–4 lead. The Griffins held that margin throughout, handing Charleston a 25–15 setback to open the match.
From that point on, the Golden Eagles looked like a different team. In set two, UC built an early cushion and steadily pulled away behind team play and smart hitting. Avila's pair of aces sparked the charge, and Charleston never allowed Chestnut Hill back into the frame on the way to a dominant 25–13 set 2 win.

UC carried that energy into the third set, racing out to a 6–0 lead with Kate Strong hammering down two early kills. From there, Charleston controlled the pace with confidence, and late kills from Julie Michalkova and Kalista Milne sealed the 25–14 win.In the fourth and final set, the Golden Eagles kept their foot on the gas. Chestnut Hill hung around early, tying the score at 5–5, but UC responded with several three-point bursts to build a lead. Madison Easton delivered a kill and an ace to push the margin to 19–11, and late kills from Milne and Muo finished off the match 25–16. With the victory, Charleston closed the weekend strong and picked up momentum heading into the next stretch of play.
 
Offense: Julie Michalkova, 10 kills; Divine Muo, 9 kills; Abby Avila, 4 aces; Chloe Fortner, 3 aces
Defense: Kate Strong, 6 blocks; Divine Muo, 4 blocks; Abby Avila, 16 assists; Chloe Fortner, 12 digs
 
Up Next:
Charleston will head to Frankfort, KY to face off against Kentucky State University on September 23^rd at 6:00PM in the Bell Gymnasium!