FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Volleyball team outlasted California (Pa.) with a final score of 3-2 at home on Tuesday evening.

Frostburg came out of the gate ready to play, scoring the first three points of the match. FSU was able to take advantage of multiple errors by Cal, to keep ahead 5-3. The Bobcats proceeded to go on a four point scoring run off of three errors by the Vulcans and junior AJ Thompson earning herself a service ace. Senior Beverly Braun would be credited with her first kill of the match, for a 14-9 Frostburg lead. Thompson knocked down strong kill, before Cal struggled once again, allowing FSU to take advantage once more. The Vulcans got things together, getting within one with a score of 19-18, but Braun would lead the way with her 1,000th kill in a Frostburg uniform, allowing FSU to hang on for the 25-23 win in set one. She becomes just the eighth player in program history to reach the mark. 

Both teams struggled to start set two, each earning a service error. Once again, Frostburg would take advantage of Cal errors, before redshirt senior Hayley Delor would set up Thompson for a perfect kill and a 5-4 FSU lead. Sophomore Amanda Knieper got in on the scoring action, knocking down a kill, keeping a 8-6 FSU lead. The Vulcans showed an offensive spark, going on multiple scoring rallies to take a 13-10 lead. Frostburg proceeded to go on a scoring run themselves, tallying tree straight points, led by a kill from senior McKaily Thomson-Moran, allowing the Bobcats to tie things at 15 apiece. With both teams going back and forth trading points, the Vulcans found their rhythm, scoring multiple points to take set two 25-20.

Cal kept the same energy to start set three, scoring the first three points off two kills and a service ace. FSU then came to life, firing back with three straight points themselves, started by a kill from Braun, with the assist going to junior Fiona Gonzalez Medina. The Vulcans were able to gain the lead, taking control of the set by going up 11-6. Two more kills from Braun brought the Bobcats within four, before both teams traded rallies. Frostburg scored five straight points with kills from Thompson and Braun, but Cal was able to stay on top, causing FSU to fall 25-19 in set three.

FSU found themselves down 2-0 to start set four, but started to show fight, tacking on five straight points with a kill from Knieper, a kill from Thomson-Moran, and two service aces from freshman Alyssa Stanton, all for a 7-4 lead. Frostburg was able to keep that lead, with junior Phoebe Lingold being credited with an ace and Knieper smacking down another kill off a Delor assist. Keeping that energy, the Bobcats rallied for a six point scoring run, led by a kill from Braun, to jump ahead 18-10. Going on to score four more straight points, Thompson found herself with a service ace, and junior Tauja Durham and sophomore Gabriella Jones each earned their first kills of the night, both off passes from Delor, all for a commanding 23-11 lead. Jones knocked down one more kill, and Braun was credited with a service ace, as the Bobcats were able to take set four 25-14.

With everything on the line, Cal jumped out to a 3-1 lead to start off set five, before Frostburg rallied to tie things up at three. Both teams traded scoring runs one more, as FSU rallied to take a 9-8 lead with Braun and Delor being credited with kills. With another tie, this time at nine apiece, an attack error from the Vulcans and another kill from Braun put the Bobcats up 11-9. FSU's defense and offense stepped up, allowing the Bobcats to maintain the lead as freshman Maddie Lewis smacked down a kill, allowing Frostburg to take set five 15-11, and the match 3-2.

In her milestone night, Braun tallied a total of 13 kills to lead the offense, while Delor dished out 36 assists, to go along with 17 digs and four blocks. Thompson finished with eight kills, four aces, and four blocks, while Gonzalez Medina put up 25 digs.

With the win, Frostburg goes to 5-4 on the season, while Cal falls to 5-2. The Bobcats will travel to Indiana, Pa. to play in the Crimson Hawk Classic, as they face Jefferson and D'Youville on Friday, September 15 at 10 AM and 5 PM. For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.