West Liberty, WV – The West Liberty University Hilltoppers volleyball team hosted an invitational inside the Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex (ASRC) this past weekend.
The event spanned two days, from Friday to Saturday. Participating teams included Clarion, California (Pa.), Shippensburg, Gannon, West Virginia State, and the Hilltoppers. During the two-day time period, there were eight matches that took place, all were non-conference, and four of these matches featured the Hilltoppers.
The Hilltoppers opened the invitational Friday afternoon with a 3-0 win over California (Pa.), winning the first set 26-24, the second set 25-20, and the third set 25-20. Contributing to this success for the Hilltoppers was Ashley Cudnik, who led with 14 kills and nine digs, while Dakoda Keni added 23 assists and 12 digs. Grace Hill chipped in eight kills, and Olivia Beldean tallied 20 assists.
West Liberty returned later Friday evening for their second match of the invitational against Clarion and came up just short of winning a five-set battle. The Hilltoppers won the first set 25-19, lost the second 25-17, won the third 25-22, lost the fourth 25-21, and lost the fifth 17-15. The Hilltoppers got strong efforts from Cudnik with 18 kills and 13 digs, and Kyia White, who added 13 kills, five aces, and 24 digs. Dakoda Keni handed out 30 assists, while Sidney Keni led the defensive effort with 5 blocks.
The Hilltoppers opened Saturday with a 3-1 loss to Shippensburg. West Liberty lost the first set 26-24, won the second 25-23, then dropped the third and fourth by scores of 25-20 and 25-23. White led the Hilltoppers with 13 kills, four aces, and 21 digs, while Bella Dart added 24 digs. Hill chipped in seven kills and five blocks.
West Liberty closed the invitational Saturday evening with a loss to #22 Gannon. The Hilltoppers lost all three sets with scores of 25-23, 25-13, and 25-18. Cudnik led the Hilltoppers with nine kills and one ace, while Dakoda Keni added 17 assists. Dart chipped in nine digs and two aces.
West Liberty returns to action tonight at the University of Charleston. First serve is set for 7 p.m. The Hilltoppers return home next Tuesday, September 30th, to take on Salem University at 7 p.m. inside the ASRC. Come cheer on your Hilltoppers!
