Charleston, W.Va.  – The University of Charleston women's volleyball team swept West Liberty 3–0 on Friday night at the Wehrle Innovation Center. The Golden Eagles pulled away late in each set, winning by scores of 25–17, 25–18, and 25–20. Julie Michalkova powered the offense with 12 kills, while setter Abby Avila dished out 26 assists. Defensively, Matea Cunningham led the back row with 10 digs, and UC's front line combined for nine blocks. With the victory, Charleston secured its eighth win of the season in front of its home crowd.

The Basics:
Location: Wehrle Innovation Center  
Score: 3-0 UC (25-17, 25-18, 25-20)
Records: UC 8-6 (1-0 MEC), West Liberty 6-9  (0-1 MEC)
 
How it Happened:
The University of Charleston women's volleyball team defended its home court in style on Friday evening, sweeping West Liberty 3–0 inside the Wehrle Innovation Center. The Golden Eagles claimed the match by set scores of 25–17, 25–18, and 25–20.

The opening set started slowly for Charleston as West Liberty grabbed an early three-point lead. UC quickly evened the score at 4–4 with three kills and an error by the Hilltoppers, and from there the two teams traded points in a tight battle. With the score tied at 12–12, Charleston finally found separation, stringing together a five-point run to build a 19–13 lead. West Liberty cut the margin to 17–20, but the Golden Eagles closed the door with another 5–0 run, capped by a block from Kate Strong and a kill by Divine Muo to seal the 25–17 win.

Momentum carried into the second set, though West Liberty again fought to keep things close in the early stages. The Golden Eagles seized control when Julie Michalkova notched back-to-back kills and Strong added a sliding attack off a set from Abby Avila to give UC a 10–8 advantage. Charleston never looked back, extending its lead to 21–16 before finishing the set on a 4–0 run to take it 25–18 and go up 2–0 in the match.

Determined to close out the sweep, Charleston raced out to a 10–6 lead in set three. The Hilltoppers hung tough, pulling within two at 16–14, but UC responded with a decisive 4–0 surge fueled by kills from Avila and Strong to make it 20–14. West Liberty mounted one final push, trimming the deficit to 22–20, but the Golden Eagles showed composure down the stretch and secured the set 25–20 to complete the sweep. Charleston's balanced attack and timely scoring runs proved too much for the Hilltoppers, as the Golden Eagles earned their eighth victory of the season in convincing fashion.

Offensive Leaders
Julie Michalkova led the way with 12 kills, while Divine Muo added 7 and Kate Strong chipped in 6. At the service line, Avila, Michalkova, and Patrycja Majos each recorded an ace. Avila also directed the offense with 26 assists, supported by Chloe Fortner's 7 and Catalina Albores' 2.
Defensive Leaders
Matea Cunningham paced the back row with 10 digs, followed by Fortner with 9 and Michalkova with 8. At the net, Muo, Strong, and Sophia Knowles each tallied 3 blocks to help secure the sweep.
 
Up Next:
Charleston has no time off and heads to Ohio to face off against Cedarville University Sep 27^th at 5:00PM!