Athens, W. Va. (Sept. 20, 2024)- The Virginia State University volleyball team traveled to the Concord Classic and dropped a match in five sets to the host Concord University, 3-2 after coming back from a two-set deficit.
Early in the first set the game was tied 5-5 after a Mountain Lions attacking error. Both teams would then score three points in a row and Gracie Darville re-tied the game with a service ace. However, CU would go on a 7-2 run to grow their lead to five points, 15-10. Concord never looked back in the first set, doubling the Trojans 10-5 to win the first set 25-10.
The Mountain Lions totally controlled the second set, winning 25-10. In the second set the closest the Trojans got were two points, 9-7 after a Leila Jackson service ace and a Denver Watkins kill.
In the third set VSU managed to get a lead, 5-4 after a Darville kill. However, Concord would score the next five points. VSU would make it nine all after a Morgan Green kill. Each team would go back and forth tying the game at 19. An attacking error by CU gave VSU the advantage by being the first team to 20 points. Concord did manage to take the lead at 22-21 but the Trojans got two kills from Amaya Cooper and a service error by the Mountain Lions to take a 24-23 lead. VSU managed to pull out the third set 26-24 after back-to-back errors by CU.
The Mountain Lions opened the fourth set on a seven to three run. The Trojans managed to fight back and take the lead 12-10 with four different players registering a kill. The Trojans held on to their two-point lead until Concord tied the game at 16. VSU would score four of the next five points with a pair of errors, a service ace from Watkins and a kill from Green. Then Kills from Green and Darville got Virginia State to a 22-17 advantage. Green would get the winning point after getting a kill forcing a fifth set with a 25-22 score in the fourth set.
In the fifth set VSU took an 8-5 advantage early with Darville, Cooper and Watkins recording kills. Concord would score the next four points to take the lead 9-8. The Mountain Lions managed to get to 14 points but VSU scored the next two points, but Concord would win the set 15-11.
Darville led the team with 14 kills, Jackson had 22 assists and Kellee Craig had 19 total digs. The Trojans are back in action tomorrow against Davis and Elkins at 12 pm and West Virginia Wesleyan at 4 pm to wrap up the Concord Classic.
