CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Frostburg State Volleyball team completed their undefeated weekend on Saturday with a pair of victories over Bloomsburg and Lake Erie at the Vulcan Invitational.
 
In the first match against Bloomsburg, FSU started out strong, racing out to a 5-1 lead with a kill from junior Beverly Braun and an ace from sophomore AJ Thompson. BU scored the next two points, but the Bobcats responded with another 5-1 run to push the lead to 10-4 with kills coming from Braun, junior McKaily Thomson-Moran, freshman Joie Allen, and sophomore Madison Reed. The Huskies then rattled off three straight points to stop the momentum and get back to within 10-7. Frostburg was able to take control of the set with six straight points, capitalizing on some Bloomsburg errors and getting kills from Thomson-Moran, Allen, and Thompson. FSU ended the set on a 9-3 run to go up 1-0 in the match.
 
Set two started out much the same, with the Bobcats getting out to a 5-1 lead, but the Huskies wouldn't go away as easily this time around, fighting back-and-forth to get within 10-9. Frostburg was able to get four straight points for some breathing room, with kills from Braun either side of an ace from senior Bianca Smalls. BU got back within four at 16-12, but that would be the smallest margin the rest of the set, as FSU was able to stay at an arm's length, with Allen and Thompson getting kills to finish off the set 25-16.
 
The beginning of set three was the closest of the match, with both sides trading points to a 7-7 tie. Frostburg quickly took command from that point on, using three aces from Smalls and several kills from Braun and Thompson to the tune of 12 straight points for a 19-7 lead. It would be too steep a hill to climb for Bloomsburg, as a service error ended the match in favor of the Bobcats 25-13 for a clean sweep victory.
 
Braun and Thompson led the attack with 14 and 11 kills, respectively, as Braun and Smalls combined for eight aces. The defense was led by sophomore Fiona Gonzalez Medina, with an incredible 22 digs, just two shy of her career high.
 
The Bobcats continued their momentum into the first set of the second match against the Storm, jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead that featured more aces from Smalls and kills from Braun and Thompson. After a Lake Erie point, FSU ran off five more points for a 12-1 lead and looked to easily take the set. The Storm would not let that happen, as they went on a 10-2 run to get within 14-11. Frostburg was able to just keep a lead at 18-15 on a service error, but Lake Erie would not be deterred, scoring eight straight points to go up 23-18 and finishing off the set at 25-20.
 
Both teams traded points at the start of set two, as the Bobcats were the first to take an early scoring run with seven points in a row to go up 9-3, thanks to a couple aces from redshirt junior Hayley Delor. Both teams went back-and-forth without any significant scoring runs with FSU still up 16-11 before they finally took control of the set. Braun got back-to-back kills followed by another Delor ace, then Allen got a pair of kills herself to push the lead to 21-12. Frostburg was able to finish off the set with a kill from junior Katie Keech and an ace from junior Jenna Gossard for a 25-15 win.
 
Lake Erie got the better start for the first time in set four with an early 4-2 lead, though FSU responded quickly with an 8-1 run, led by Allen and Braun, for a 10-5 lead. The Storm answered back with their own run to get within 13-11. Once more, Smalls caused issues with her serves, getting another pair of aces, with Thompson and Braun providing kills to take a 19-11 lead. Frostburg again did not allow Lake Erie to get back into the set, as Braun scored the final three points for a 25-14 Bobcat win.
 
Frostburg took a quick 7-3 lead in the fourth set as they looked for the match win, but the Storm found some early resolve to get back to 8-7. FSU didn't want a repeat of the first set, as they used a 7-1 run with Braun featuring heavily, joined by Thompson and Keech getting kills for a 15-8 lead. Lake Erie was able to score four straight thanks to a couple aces to get within 15-12 but would not get closer the rest of the match. With a 20-15 advantage, the Bobcats sealed the win with a kill from Keech and four straight Storm errors to take the set 25-15 and the match 3-1.
 
Braun was a force offensively, as her 23 kills were her third-most in a single match in her career. Smalls and Delor combined for seven aces, with Delor also tallying an impressive 40 assists. Gossard was fantastic defensively, getting a match-high 15 digs, with Gonzalez Medina not far behind at 14.
 
With the sweep, Frostburg improves to 3-0 on the year, as they prepare for their first home match of the season on Tuesday, August 30 against Pace at 7 PM. Information and updates will be posted at frostburgsports.com.