Canton, OH - The University of Charleston Golden Eagles opened their 2026 season with the Malone University Volleyball Hall of Fame City Challenge on Friday.
The Basics:
Location: Osborne Hall
Game 1 Score: Roberts Wesleyan 3, Charleston 2
Game 2 Score: Malone 3, Charleston 2
Game 1:
Charleston battled back to claim the second and third sets after dropping the first, but ultimately fell to Roberts Wesleyan in five sets. RWU won the first set by a score of 25-21, which caused a quick response from the Golden Eagles in the second set, taking it by a score of 25-23. After a back-and-forth start to the third set, Charleston went on an 8 point run to bring the score to 15-8, and decisively took the set by a score of 25-15. While Charleston stayed competitive in sets 4 and 5, the momentum was on the side of the Redhawks, who put the Golden Eagles away by a score of 25-21 in set 4 and 15-11 in set 5.
Kate Strong and Jasmine Broberg led the Golden Eagles offense with 10 kills apiece, and Strong added 11 total blocks on the defensive side. Caydence Franz had a team-high 21 assists while Bianca Bower contributed 12 digs.
Game 2:
The Golden Eagles came in hot in set 1 against Malone, taking it by a score of 25-22. Set 2 went to Malone, with Charleston responding with a win of the third set. The Pioneers pulled away with a 6-0 run towards the end of the fourth set to force the fifth, where they ultimately defeated the Golden Eagles by a score of 16-14.
Jasmine Broberg recorded a match-high 14 kills for Charleston as well as 16 digs. Kate Strong hit .333 for the match with 10 kills. London Upchurch recorded 26 assists for the Golden Eagles.
Up Next:
Charleston will look to bounce back in Day 2 of the tournament on Saturday, August 29th where they will take on Roosevelt University and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
