LATROBE, Pa. – The Frostburg State volleyball team dropped a pair of matches to open the 2018 season at the Bearcat Challenge hosted by Saint Vincent College, Friday.
 
Junior middle hitter Biamba Tshitenge and first-year Haley Altemus each combined for 14 kills over their first two matches of the season.
 
Match One: Saint Vincent 
The Bobcats dropped their season opener to Saint Vincent in their first match of the day in three sets, 25-21, 25-15 and 25-17.
 
Tshitenge led the attack with eight kills and a .238 hitting percentage while sophomore Rachel Snead was registered six kills for in second on the team. Frostburg also registered a total of two team blocks on the day.
 
Saint Vincent sophomore Mary Popp led the day with 11 kills. Senior Marisa O'Dell had a .533 hitting percentage and gave 18 assists along with senior Meghan Taylor leading the team with 16 digs.
 
Bobcat junior setter Katie Onyundo registered 24 assists, two kills and two aces and junior defensive specialists Hannah Brown led the way with 10 digs.
 
Match Two: Westminster
In a rematch of the last year's ECAC Quarterfinals, Westminster took the match in three sets, 25-21, 25-13, 25-21.
 
In the first set, the Bobcats fell behind 10-4 in the early goings before reeling off eight straight points to take a 17-14 lead. The Titans responded with a run of their own to lead 18-17 before the set was deadlocked at 19. Westminster closed out the set with seven of the final nine points.
 
In the third set, FSU and Westminster found themselves tied at 15 before a four-point burst for the Titans gave WC the lead for good to close out the match.
 
Westminster took advantage of 26 Bobcat errors to limit Frostburg's hitting percentage to .058.
 
Newcomers led the way in the Bobcats' efforts against Westminster with Altemus notching eight kills and 11 digs and junior Bailey Godlove notched eight kills and six digs.
 
Onyundo added 25 assists, eight digs and three kills and juniors Cori Smothers and Hannah Brown each chipped in with 13 digs.
 
Up Next
Frostburg continues its weekend at the Bearcat Challenge tomorrow with a pair of matches against Allegheny (10:00 a.m.) and Waynesburg (2:00 p.m.)
 
For up-to-date game information, including live stats and video streaming, visit frostburgsports.com.