WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Volleyball team traveled to face West Liberty in a Friday evening match, losing in three straight sets.
 
Set one began with the Bobcats taking an early 4-2 lead, as sophomore AJ Thompson and redshirt junior Hayley Delor got things started on a combined block, then junior Beverly Braun pounded a kill to the floor. WLU woke up from their slow start, taking nine of the next eleven points to jump out to an 11-5 lead, eventually using another five-point run to go ahead 17-7. FSU tried to make a late push to get back into the set, winning seven of ten points with kills from Braun and senior Bianca Smalls to get within 20-14. The Hilltopper attack was too much to handle, however, taking five of the final six points to win the set 25-15.
 
West Liberty wasted no time taking full control in the second set, as Frostburg struggled for answers during a 15-2 Hilltopper surge. The Bobcats found some footing after the setback, with kills from freshman Joie Allen and junior McKaily Thomson-Moran preceding a Thompson block to get within 16-7. Continuing the comeback attempt, FSU took six of seven points on an ace by junior Jenna Gossard, kills from Braun and freshman Amanda Knieper, and Thompson providing both a block and a kill to bring the score to 18-13. Frostburg got all the way back to 21-17 on a quartet of kills by Thompson, Thomson-Moran, and Braun, but WLU's early lead proved too high a hill to climb, winning four of the final five points to take set two 25-18.
 
The third set featured a couple early momentum swings, with West Liberty taking a 5-2 lead and FSU responding to take a 7-6 lead on a Thompson kill. The sides battled back-and-forth, with Thompson providing the Bobcats' offense up to an 11-11 tie that was broken by a staggering 8-0 Hilltopper run for a commanding 19-11 lead. Much as they had in the second set, Frostburg wasn't going down without a fight, as Thomson-Moran, Delor, and Allen provided a spark during a 9-3 run that brought the set within 22-20, punctuated by a Knieper kill. As they had done the rest of the match, WLU had the answers they needed at the end of the set, taking three of the final four points to win 25-21 and complete the match sweep.
 
Braun, Thompson, and Thomson-Moran led a balanced Bobcat attack with seven, six, and five kills, respectively. Delor provided 19 assists and tied sophomore Fiona Gonzalez Medina with a team-high 15 digs apiece.
 
With the loss, Frostburg falls to 16-14 on the season, while West Liberty improves to 20-9. FSU returns to action on Tuesday, November 1 for a road match at Notre Dame (Ohio) set for 7 p.m. Information and updates will be posted at frostburgsports.com.