Ettrick, Va. (Sept. 5, 2025) — The Virginia State University Volleyball team opened their 2025 campaign with a tough outing, falling in straight sets in both matches on Opening Day of the VSU Invitational. The Trojans were defeated 3-0 by Concord University and 3-0 by Shepherd University.
Game 1: Concord 3, VSU 0
Set Scores: 25-21, 27-25, 28-26
The Trojans battled hard in their opener against Concord, showing flashes of dominance throughout the match.
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First Set: After a 10-10 tie, VSU surged ahead with kills from Noa Roberts, Morgan Green, and Amaya Cooper to lead 15-12. Concord responded and eventually tied the score at 17 before capitalizing on a VSU error to reach 20 points first. The Mountain Lions closed out the set with a 4-0 run to win 25-21.
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Second Set: VSU jumped out to an early 8-3 lead, fueled by a kill from Anya McKinley and a service ace by Leila Jackson. A pair of kills by Gracie Darville pushed the lead to 10. Despite a 16-12 advantage midway through, Concord stormed back with a 5-0 run and edged the Trojans in extra points, 27-25.
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Third Set: VSU held a commanding 13-6 lead after a string of Concord errors. However, the Mountain Lions clawed their way back, tying the set at 26 before sealing the match with two consecutive kills to win 28-26.
Game 2: Shepherd 3, VSU 0
Set Scores: 25-13, 25-22, 25-15
Shepherd University proved to be a formidable opponent in the second match of the day.
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Second Set: The Trojans played more competitively, tying the set at 13-13. Kills by Cooper and Kyra Marciniak, along with a service ace by Adrianna Bacon, gave VSU a 3-point lead. However, the Rams responded to regain control and finished the set with back-to-back kills for a 25-22 win.
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Third Set: Shepherd jumped ahead 14-6 before Marciniak and Peyton Reese sparked a small VSU rally with three kills. Despite a more balanced exchange of points down the stretch, the Rams pulled away with a strong finish, winning 25-15.
The Trojans drop to 0-2 and will return for Day Two of the Opening Weekend Invitational with matches against Bloomsburg University (11:00 A.M.) and University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown (5:00 P.M.).