FROSTBURG, Md.- The Frostburg State Volleyball team fell in heartbreaking fashion to Fairmont State on Homecoming Weekend, losing 3-2 to the Fighting Falcons.
 
The sides would go back-and-forth to start out the first set, with Frostburg taking the first significant lead at 16-12 featuring a couple kills from junior Jackie Sterenberg. Fairmont would respond by taking the next four points to event the match at 16-16. The Bobcats took five of the next seven points to go up 21-18 on an ace from junior Bianca Smalls, but again Fairmont would not go away, tying the match at 23-23. Frostburg would put away the set with three of the next four points, with sophomore Beverly Braun and freshman AJ Thompson putting the Falcons away 26-24.
 
Set two would also be close to start, with neither team leading by more than two points until Frostburg took a 17-13 lead. Fairmont would get back to 18-17, but four straight Bobcat points pushed the lead to 22-17. The Falcons got back within two at 22-20, but Frostburg again won three of the next four points, polishing off the set with a kill from Braun to win 25-21 and take a 2-0 set lead.
 
Fairmont would come back strong, taking an early lead in set four and fending off a strong Bobcat comeback attempt to stay in the match with a 25-23 set win. Both teams would trade scoring runs in the fourth set, with Frostburg closing in at 23-22, but two straight Falcon points took the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
The Falcons would start strong in the deciding frame, going up 6-1 and then 11-4, with Frostburg attempting to mount a comeback late on. The Bobcats fought off three match points, but a service error gave Fairmont the comeback win 15-11.
 
Braun led the team in kills with 19, joined in double-digit kills by Sterenberg with 15 and Thompson with 13. Redshirt sophomore setter Hayley Delor set a new season-high in assists with 51, with junior libero McKenna Houser and freshman Fiona Gonzalez Medina both setting season-highs in digs with 26 and 24, respectively.
 
With the loss, Frostburg falls to 4-15, while Fairmont improves to 15-6. The Bobcats return to action Tuesday, October 19 in Bobcat Arena as they host Glenville State at 7 p.m. For information and updates stay tuned at frostburgsports.com.