Frostburg State University Athletics

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Frostburg State Volleyball team split their final day at the Slippery Rock Tournament on Saturday, losing 3-1 to Bloomsburg before reversing that score in a victory against Roberts Wesleyan.
 
In the first match of the day, BU jumped out to a 5-2 lead, eventually extending out to a 10-5 score despite FSU kills from senior Grace Yocham and sophomore Adele Evans. The Bobcats were able to find a response, however, as sophomore Alliyah McNair found the floor, as did freshman Gabrielle Morris before Yochum went for two more and a sudden 10-10 tie. In a back-and-forth battle, the Huskies took three of the next four before three consecutive errors, one that featured a block between Morris and senior Maya Johnson, put things tied again at 14-14. Bloomsburg went on another run, however FSU wouldn't be able to recover from this one, as six of the next seven were put home to a 20-15 advantage. Frostburg looked to battle back through four Husky errors in pulling within two, but BU wouldn't relinquish their lead, netting the final four points to take the set 25-19.
 
Seeking to quickly brush off the opening loss, FSU came out hot in the second frame, as McNair started things on a kill before sophomore Pia White went for back-to-back aces and Johnson found the floor for a 5-1 score. Bloomsburg immediately turned things around, scoring six unanswered to go up by two. They continued to ride their momentum into a 6-1 run, pushing their lead out to 14-9. The Bobcats were finally able to settle in, netting seven of the next nine points to pull even. Freshman Miranda Ball got things going while McNair had three of Frostburg's next four kills, the other going to Morris, as Johnson and White had a combo block to cap the run. As the sides went toe-to-toe, it appeared as BU would take late control once again, as three in a row put them up 21-18. FSU had no intentions of letting the set slip away, responding on Evans and Yocham finding the floor to go with an error to even things up. After the Huskies nudged ahead, Evans and Yocham stuffed the next attack, as the latter added the set-winning kill after a pair of errors to even the match up on the 25-22 victory.
 
The third set would end up being the closest fought of the match, as neither team led by more than two points until the very last score. Bloomsburg hit the first two points before Johnson got Frostburg on the board, as kills from Evans, McNair, Yocham, and Morris paved the way to an 8-8 tie. Freshman Judy Steffens got on the action with an ace, as FSU got some damage from the service line, as junior Emery Kuebler and McNair each found the floor through serves, putting the Bobcats up 15-13. Hitting back, the Huskies netted three of four, as McNair drove Frostburg's offense with two more kills, as the rest of their points came from errors. With the score knotted at 21-21, Bloomsburg took control of the set and the match, putting down four of the final five points to win 25-22.
 
Looking to put the match away, BU scored six of the first nine points of the fourth set, however three consecutive errors got FSU back to a tie score. Yocham then had kills either side of a senior Alyssa Stanton ace but the Huskies put down five in a row to lead 13-9. Trying to keep the match alive, Johnson and McNair found the floor twice apiece, while a pair of Bloomsburg miscues tied things up at 15-15. BU put in the next two, as Steffens and Johnson each had kills to keep things level at 19-19. It seemed as though FSU would be able to get some momentum after a Johnson-Morris block put them up one, but the Huskies answered with three straight to get within two of taking the set. The Bobcats stayed alive on a Morris kill and Ball ace, however the Huskies were able to net back-to-back points to take the set 25-23 and the 3-1 match win.
 
McNair had a team-high 12 kills, as she and Ball equaled one another with eight digs apiece. White added a pair of aces and 16 assists, while Johnson put up three blocks.
 
Now hoping to salvage a win from the weekend, Frostburg began the second bout against RWU with McNair, Morris, and Johnson finding the floor while Ball and Steffens added aces to take an 8-4 advantage. The Redhawks looked to answer back, pulling within one on three straight points, as a kill from Kuebler and solo block by senior Raegan Philips kept the lead at 11-8. Once again, Roberts made an effort to stay close with three of four, however a 5-2 FSU run had the advantage standing at four, with Steffens bookending things on scores, Johnson adding a kill, and Kuebler serving an ace. The back-and-forth theme kept going, with RWU getting within 17-16 before three total kills between McNair and Johnson kicked off an 8-2 run that put the set away 25-18.
 
In similar fashion to start the second set, the Bobcats had three in a row through Johnson and Steffens kills and a Ball ace before four straight from RWU had them up 7-5. A serving error and Yocham kill evened things up, as the sides went back-and-forth up to a 12-12 draw. Two Roberts errors were followed by a Stanton ace and Steffens kill, with Frostburg looking to gain the upper hand, however the Redhawks went on a 6-1 run to take the lead 19-17. The Bobcats battled back with five of the next seven, as Yocham went for back-to-back scores while McNair and Philips had a block and White added an ace to regain a 22-21 advantage. Their momentum was quickly halted, as RWU took four of the final five points to win the set 25-23.
 
Early in the third, the sides traded scores to a 4-4 tie before Frostburg went on a 6-1 run, as Yocham and McNair combined for four kills and Steffens tacked on an ace to lead 10-5. The Redhawks scored four of five to pull within two but FSU kept them at arms' length, as Johnson took over the attack with a trio of scores, as Stanton put up an ace to go ahead 16-10. There would be no let-up from the Bobcats this time around, as Steffens, Yocham, and Philips all found the floor in pushing the lead out to 21-14. After two straight RWU points, Philips and Johnson put up a pair of blocks while Steffens added a kill in taking the set comfortably 25-16.
 
FSU looked to put things away in the fourth frame, hitting the first three points thanks in part to a pair of scores from Johnson and Philips, however Roberts recovered to stay within 5-4. Frostburg looked to try and pull away with McNair and Steffens hitting the floor either side of a Kuebler ace, but the Redhawks stayed within two all the way to a 12-10 score. This time, the Bobcats were able to take control and not let RWU back in, as Johnson and Morris had a trio of kills while Stanton put in another ace in surging ahead 18-11. Following a Roberts kill, Steffens and Yocham powered Frostburg to the final five points, with the former netting two aces and the latter having three kills in easily winning 25-13.
 
Johnson (12), McNair (11), and Yocham (10) all reached double figures in kills, as Ball led the defensive effort on a match-high 15 digs. White and Kuebler combined for 34 assists between the pair, as Philips (5) and Steffens (4) had career-highs in blocks and aces, respectively. For her efforts, White was also named to the All-Tournament team.
 
With the split, Frostburg is now 3-7 on the year and will began Mountain East Conference play on Friday, September 18 at 7 p.m. against Concord from Bobcat Arena. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.