KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Frostburg State volleyball team defeated Bowie State and Kutztown on the road in their Saturday tri-match. The first match of the day against Bowie State ended 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-12) and the second match versus Kutztown ended 3-2 (22-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-21, 15-10).
 
In the first match, the Bobcats started off with an ace against Bowie that set the tone for the rest of the set. The first set came to a tie at 17-17 until back-to-back kills from sophomore Beverly Braun and freshman AJ Thompson helped FSU run off six points in a row to push past the Bulldogs to win 25-20.
 
In the second set, both teams exchanged points with the Bobcats pushing ahead by as much as seven points off a Bulldogs error. Bowie edged back into the set before falling 25-22 on a kill from junior Jackie Sterenberg.  
 
In the third set, Frostburg led by as much as 13 points, as Braun led FSU in the winning set with four of the team's 11 kills, as they won easily 25-12 to sweep the match 3-0. With the win, FSU improved to 2-9 on the year, while Bowie fell to 1-7. 
 
The second match of the day would go to five sets and see the Bobcats facing two must-win sets. In the first set, Frostburg jumped out to a three-point lead, with junior Bianca Smalls having a service ace. Kutztown had five- and four-point runs late in the set to pull ahead of FSU. Sophomore Laken Michael had a late kill to make the set 22-24 before the Golden Bears finished off the set.
 
Frostburg came back strong in set two to beat Kutztown by 10 points. The Bobcats had 12 kills and only one error, as Braun was able to close out the set on back-to-back kills to even the match at a set apiece.
 
The third set was back-and-forth the entire way, as the Bobcats face three set points trying to pull back even with the Golden Bears. Sophomore Hayley Delor scored a kill and an ace from Braun pulled FSU within one point before Kutztown took the set 25-23.
 
Facing match set after going down 2-1, the Bobcats had to win the fourth set to keep the match alive. FSU took its first lead on two straight kills from Sterenberg, then Thompson started a three-point run with a nice kill that gave the Bobcats a cushion. The Golden Bears, refusing to go away, pulled the set back to within two points before FSU was able to close it out and stay alive in the match 25-21.
 
The Bobcats jumped out to a strong lead midway through the fifth set, when sophomore Sydney Hammond, Delor and Braun had three kills in a row. Thompson was able to finish off the match comeback for Frostburg on a kill that ended the fifth set 15-10. The win put FSU at 3-9 on the year, while Kutztown fell to 5-8.
 
The Bobcats return to action Tuesday, September 28 when they host Alderson Broaddus at 7 PM in Bobcat Arena. For more information visit frostburgsports.com.