Volleyball

UC Holds Off WV State
October 11, 2005

By Jay Srinivasan
For The Charleston Gazette

In a thriller that featured exciting volleyball from both teams, the University of Charleston outlasted West Virginia State 28-30, 30-27, 28-30, 30-24, 15-10 in front of 250-plus raucous fans Monday at Eddie King Gym.

"It was a great match," said UC coach Bren Stevens. "West Virginia State played awesome. I feel very lucky to come away with a win."

The Yellow Jackets jumped to an 8-3 lead in the first game. Leah Wilson ripped stunning spikes to keep the UC players on their heels. But UC fought back and closed the gap with some solid defense.

A Roslyn Adams spike and a mistake by the Yellow Jackets equalized the score at 28. Blair Ruddle then hit a kill to give State a 29-28 lead. A defensive error by UC in the next point gave the game to the Yellow Jackets.

The slugfest continued in the second game with both teams spiking and digging superbly. Three booming kills by Rebecca LaBrake put UC on top 29-27. The Golden Eagles closed the game on a Yellow Jackets error.

The lead changed several times in the third game. The Yellow Jackets capitalized on UC and LaBrake to take a 29-28 lead, and Ruddle hit a solid kill to give the Yellow Jackets a 2-1 game lead.

Undaunted, UC raised its level in the fourth game. An ace by Adams and two terrific spikes by LaBrake gave UC a comfortable 29-23 lead, a good placement gave the Golden Eagles the game.

The Eagles held their nerve in the fifth game as the Yellow Jackets started making mistakes, bringing UC to match point. LaBrake followed with a great block to finish the match.

"It could have gone either way," said Yellow Jackets coach Shannon Gerencir. "They started hitting well in the fourth and fifth games, and that made the difference."