FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Volleyball team cruised to a straight-set sweep at home against Salem (WV) on Tuesday night.
 
Set one began a close affair as the sides traded points up to 4-4 before FSU took absolute command of the game. Junior AJ Thompson kicked off a stunning 15-3 run with a kill, as the Bobcats went up 19-7 in the blink of an eye. Thompson put down two kills during the rally, with senior Beverly Braun adding a trio of kills, sophomore Amanda Knieper serving up a pair of aces, and senior McKaily Thomson-Moran assisting on two blocks and getting a kill herself. Freshman Maddie Lewis added back-to-back kills, then Thompson, Braun, and Thomson-Moran put the set away convincingly at 25-13.
 
The Tigers got out to a 3-1 lead at the start of the second set after a kill, block, and ace, but after their 4-3 advantage they would not lead again the rest of the set. Frostburg got eight points in a row to surge ahead 9-4, as Knieper and Thompson both had a pair of kills and junior Phoebe Lingold scored an ace. Salem found some fight, going on a 6-3 run to pull within 12-10 before FSU regained control. Thomson-Moran put up another block, then senior Hayley Delor served up back-to-back aces and Lewis added a kill to go up 16-10. The Bobcats continued to hold their lead, but SU kept just within touching distance, eventually scoring four of five points to get the deficit to two at 21-19. Frostburg would not allow another point, as Braun, Thomson-Moran, and Delor all put down kills, with the latter two also combining on a block to take the set 25-19.
 
FSU didn't waste much time taking the early lead in set three, as Lewis, Lingold, and Thompson all scored to take a 7-3 advantage. Knieper then took over the offense, putting away back-to-back kills followed by three aces in a 10-0 Bobcat run that also featured kills from Thompson and Braun for a commanding 17-5 lead. Frostburg looked to end things quickly, as Delor and Thomson-Moran found the floor followed by an ace by freshman Jaeden Cook at 21-7, but Salem went on a 7-2 run to hang around. Unfortunately for the visitors, two straight attacking errors handed FSU the set 25-14 for the match sweep.
 
Thompson led all scorers with 10 kills, hitting .400 for the match, as four Bobcats had over five kills in a balanced offense, with Knieper adding a career-high five aces. Junior Fiona Gonzalez Medina (17) and Lingold (11) reached double-digit digs, while Thomson-Moran had a season-high five blocks in the defensive effort.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 8-7 on the year, while Salem falls to 3-8. The Bobcats return to action on Friday, September 29 to face Notre Dame (Ohio) on the road at 7 p.m.  Information and updates will be posted at frostburgsports.com.