CHARLESTON, W. Va.  – After back-to-back home victories, the Frostburg State Volleyball team dropped their road match 3-0 against Charleston (WV) on Friday evening.
 
Set one began even, with the teams playing to a 4-4 tie, as FSU received a couple points on a kill by freshman Joie Allen, who combined with sophomore AJ Thompson on a block as well. UC rattled off seven of the next eight points to take an 11-5 lead, with Sage Bearnson putting three kills past the Bobcat defense. The Golden Eagles pushed their lead up to 16-9 and looked to put a quick end to the set, but Frostburg would not go away easily. Allen recorded another kill, then senior Bianca Smalls served up back-to-back aces and junior McKaily Thomson-Moran pounded another kill to the floor as part of a 6-0 run to get all the way back to within 16-15. Each side traded a pair of points to bring the set to 18-17, then Charleston took full control, winning seven of the final nine points to win the opening set 25-19.
 
Just as the first set, the second set began even at 4-4, featuring a pair of Thompson blocks. From there, Frostburg flipped the script on UC, scoring nine in a row to take a 13-4 lead. During the run, junior Bevely Braun caught fire with a quartet of kills and combined with Thompson on a block, with Smalls capping the run on another ace. The Golden Eagles responded with their own run of 9-1 to cut the Bobcat lead to 14-13, thanks in large part to Mckenzie Carpenter. Frostburg scored another pair of points to gain a 16-14 lead, but Charleston's offense again was too much to handle, going on a 9-2 run for a 23-18 lead. FSU put up a fight at the end of the set, looking to keep it alive with four of the next five points from Smalls' and junior Jenna Gossard's aces and a Thompson kill, but Carpenter planted the final point for the 25-22 Golden Eagles win.
 
UC took their momentum into the third set, jumping out to an early 5-2 lead. Frostburg was able to answer with three straight points, as two of them came on Braun kills to tie it at 5-5. Charleston took four of the next five points to regain the lead at 9-6, then held the Bobcats largely at arm's length up to a 17-12 lead. FSU fended their way back into the set with kills from Thompson and Braun, with Thompson also joining Thomson-Moran on a block to get within 19-17. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, that would be as close as they could get for the rest of the set, as the Golden Eagles took six of the final nine points for the 25-20 set win and the match sweep.
 
Braun and Thompson led the offense with nine and eight kills, respectively, as Smalls added a team-high four aces. Sophomore Fiona Gonzalez Medina was excellent defensively, recording a match-high 24 digs, followed closely by Braun's impressive 20. Thompson added a match-high four blocks, with Thomson-Moran and Braun putting up two apiece.
 
With the loss, Frostburg falls to 16-11 on the year, while Charleston improves to 23-3. The Bobcats face a quick turnaround, as they make the short trip from UC to West Virginia State on Saturday, October 22 at 11 AM. Information and updates will be posted at frostburgsports.com.