Frostburg State University Athletics

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Volleyball team earned their second consecutive victory with a 3-1 home decision over Davis & Elkins on Friday evening.
 
Each side traded two-point runs in the opening of set one, as sophomore Alliyah McNair earned the first kill for FSU, who eventually led 4-3. Senior Raegan Philips began to take over the Bobcat offense, putting in three of their next six kills, joined in by McNair, senior Maya Johnson, and freshman Gabrielle Morris in extended the advantage out to 12-7. D&E then took over the set, going for four in a row as part of a 14-4 run that pushed them ahead 19-16. Frostburg was able to steady themselves, as Philips joined McNair and Johnson on back-to-back blocks to kick off seven unanswered, from which senior Grace Yocham added a kill and McNair put in an ace to go up 23-19. The Senators didn't count themselves out of the set yet, as then put in three in a row to get back within one. Yocham netted a score to bring up two set points, one of which was fended off by the visitors before Morris ended things on a spike at 25-23.
 
After Davis & Elkins took the first point of the second set, FSU looked to continue their momentum with four in a row, as junior Allison Brown and Morris found the floor, with the latter joining McNair on a block and sophomore Kylie Appleton serving an ace. The Senators put in two in a row but couldn't halt the Bobcat momentum, as McNair was a force at the net, putting in three of the next five points while freshman Miranda Ball tacked on an ace to lead 9-4. D&E was able to work themselves back into the set, using a pair of three-point rallies either side of a Frostburg 4-1 run to get within 13-11. Johnson then put one down before joining Morris on a block, however Davis & Elkins went full steam ahead on a seven-point rally to lead 18-15. A serving error let the Bobcats off the hook in stopping the run, with McNair then powering back-to-back-to-back kills in regaining a 20-18 advantage. Freshman Judy Steffens then joined the action, with McNair and Yocham adding scores before a setting error gave FSU their second straight 25-23 decision.
 
Frostburg answered the first two D&E points in the third set with Johnson, McNair, and Steffens all finding the floor, however the visitors were determined not to get swept. The Senators scored the next five to take a four-point lead, as FSU couldn't ever get closer than three up to a 13-10 score. Pressing forward, Davis & Elkins netted five of the next seven to push their advantage out to six, however the Bobcats found some fight, as Steffens and McNair combined for a trio of kills while a pair of errors helped pull Frostburg back within 19-16. The Senators weren't to be deterred, as they put down five of the next six, only giving the Bobcats points on a pair of errors before ending the set on a kill to win 25-18 and keep the match going.
 
D&E looked to take that swing into the fourth, going up 3-1 early before FSU put in six of the next eight, as Johnson, sophomore Adele Evans, and junior Emery Kuebler combined for four kills in going up 7-5. From there, the sides traded two-point runs up to back-to-back scores off McNair and Evans to maintain an 11-9 Frostburg lead. The Bobcats began to slowly but surely grow out the advantage, as Philips, Johnson, and McNair all found the floor while freshman Rhea Shetty added an ace in pushing ahead 20-13. The Senators showed some mettle in response, scoring five of the next seven to pull within 22-18. Steffens had a kill hoping to put the match away, as Johnson followed and finally a D&E error brought the Bobcats the 25-19 set and match win.
 
McNair led all scorers with 16 kills, also going for a double-double with a team-high 16 digs. Kuebler and Shetty notched 21 assists apiece, while the former (10) and Ball (14) also hit double-figure digs.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 5-8 on the year, while Davis & Elkins drops to 0-16. FSU will next hit the road to face Wheeling on Tuesday, September 29 at 7 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.