ELKINS, W. Va. - Davis & Elkins won the second and third sets, but the visiting Fairmont State Falcons got the last laugh with wins in set four and five to claim victory on Saturday afternoon in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play at the McDonnell Center.
Fairmont State (12-14, 5-6 MEC) opened the match with a narrow 25-23 victory in the opening set, but the hosts responded with a 25-20 set two win and 25-23 victory in the third set. The Falcons got back on track with wins in set four and five, snapping a five-match winning streak for Davis & Elkins (16-8, 9-4 MEC).
Kaitlyn LaCour matched a career-high with 25 kills for the Senators, while
Sarah Warren added 52 assists. Julia DiPaola cracked 18 kills for the Falcons in a balanced attack.
LaCour added 15 digs and an ace in an impressive day for the Senators, while
Solei Daniels added 12 kills off the bench.
Mya Mintschenko chipped in three kills and four blocks for the Senators and Raleighanne Wevaer added six kills of her own. Five players had 15 or more digs for Davis & Elkins in a back-and-forth affair that featured several long rallies.
THE RUNDOWN
- Fairmont State (12-14, 5-6 MEC) - 3
- Davis & Elkins (16-8, 9-4 MEC) - 2
- Set Scores: 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 13-15)
- McDonnell Center - Elkins, W. Va.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Set One: A kill from Daniels made it 9-7 as part of a 4-0 run for the Senators. The Falcons battled back to close the set with an 8-1 surge to take the opening frame.
- Set Two: Consecutive kills from LaCour and Daniels made it 11-8 and three straight errors by the Falcons gave the Senators the edge it needed to tie the match at one.
- Set Three: Fairmont took a quick 5-3 lead to begin the set, but a kill from Daniels tied the fame at 18. Essence West capped a 5-1 run for the senators with an ace, handing the hosts the set win.
- Set Four: Lillie Mueller fired in a service ace, helping Davis & Elkins answer an early FSU run with one of its own. Five straight points for the Falcons lifted the visitors ahead 17-11. That lead was enough for Fairmont State, which held off a late surge to tie the match at two.
- Set Five: A 7-1 Davis & Elkins spurt made the score 10-7 in favor of the Senators. Once again, Fairmont responded to ultimately tie the frame at 11 and a 4-2 run ended the thrilling match.
MATCH NOTES
- LaCour tied her career high in kills, tying the mark for the second time. She previously notched 25 kills against IUP on September 13.
- D&E is now 2-3 in five-set matches this season.
- Smith, Mueller, LaCour and Weaver were recognized for Senior Day on the court prior to the contest.
UP NEXT
- Davis & Elkins concludes the home portion of the 2019 regular season on Tuesday, November 12 against West Virginia Wesleyan at 7:00 PM.
