SALEM, W. Va. – The Frostburg State Volleyball team secured a 3-0 sweep of Salem (WV) on the road Friday evening.
 
Sophomore Devin Brunk helped get FSU started in the first set with a kill leading to a 3-0 lead, but SU was right there with their own three-point run to tie things up. The sides went back and forth up to a 6-5 Tiger lead until junior Grace Yocham, sophomore Dani Kunkle, and freshman Adele Evans combined for four kills as part of a 6-1 run for an 11-7 Bobcat advantage. Another three straight from Salem got them to within one, but Kunkle found the floor either side of an error, while Brunk put one down to get the score back up to 16-11.
 
Once again, SU battled back, with an ace putting them within 17-16, but the next five points went to Frostburg on a run started by junior Maya Johnson followed by Evans putting down kills and redshirt senior Phoebe Lingold serving up an ace to lead 22-16. Kunkle got things to six set points, then after a pair of Tiger scores, Evans shut them down with a solo block to win 25-20.
 
In reverse fashion to the first set, it would be Salem to take the early lead in the second, with FSU then responding with a four-point run that began with junior Paige Mock finding the floor. The Tigers attempted to flip the script on the Bobcats after going down 5-4, rattling off six of the next seven to pull ahead 11-6. An attacking error stopped the bleeding, as Evans and Kunkle put up a trio of kills to get back within two.
 
Salem continued to keep their lead intact up to 16-12, though it wouldn't last long. Kunkle kicked things off with a spike, followed immediately by a Brunk solo block, as she then put down four scores as part of a stunning 10-0 run that culminated in the former notching an ace to lead 22-16. Unable to get themselves back into the set, SU would drop three of the final four points for a 25-19 score.
 
Seeking to keep the match alive, the Tigers came out of the blocks firing to begin the third frame, taking a 7-3 lead following a string of errors. They kept up their pressure, not allowing FSU to put together more than two consecutive points, growing their advantage up to 16-9. Frostburg tried to respond on kills by Evans and Brunk either side of an SU error, but the hosts put down the next two points to hold an 18-12 lead.
 
As they had done in the previous set, the Bobcats were up to the challenge, as Evans kicked off a six-point swing with a kill, followed by two more from Yocham and freshman Kylie Appleton, while Brunk added an ace as the set was suddenly tied 18-18. Salem regained the lead on back-to-back points, but Evans and Kunkle showed no signs of slowing down with three combined kills, while Appleton added an ace and Yocham and Mock combined on a match-ending block to take the 25-20 victory.
 
Brunk (11), Kunkle (10), and Evans (10) all reached double-digit kills in a balanced attacking effort, where Lingold and sophomore Emery Kuebler combined for 31 assists. Appleton helped lead the defensive effort with 11 digs, while Kunkle and Yocham added nine apiece.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 5-8 on the year, while Salem drops to 7-5. The Bobcats return home on Tuesday, October 7 to host Wheeling at 7 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.