MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University volleyball team (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) took down North Dakota State, 3-2 with a reverse sweep on Friday night in Fargo, North Dakota. The Mountaineers claimed the victory with score of 24-26, 11-25, 25-20, 25-23 and 15-9.
 
Junior outside hitter Quincey Coyle capped the match with her sixteenth kill of the night, marking a career high. Additionally, Coyle notched a second career high with 11 digs, collecting her first double-double of the season.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Maddy McGath also had a career outing against the Bisons, tallying fifteen kills on a .737 clip along with four total blocks.
 
Graduate student libero Sydney Reed collected 15 of WVU’s 56 digs, while redshirt junior outside hitter Cassidy Tanton added a career best with 12.
 
The Mountaineers held North Dakota State to just a .180 hitting percentage, while outscoring the Bison with 63 kills, 59 assists, 56 digs and nine blocks. Sophomore setter Alexis Finnvold accounted for 47 of West Virginia’s 59 assists.
 
North Dakota State started the match with an early 4-2 lead, followed by five unanswered points from West Virginia. As points were traded across both sides of the net, a 3-0 Bison run tied the set at 18. Graduate student setter Lauren DeLo gave West Virginia a spark with a pair of kills, as WVU led late, 24-23. North Dakota State closed out the first set with another 3-0 run, taking the 26-24 set one victory.
 
The Bisons took control of the second set, with a 10-3 lead. West Virginia only counted six kills during the set, as North Dakota State ran away with a 25-11 set victory.
 
West Virginia once again trailed early in set three, 5-3 before a 7-2 scoring run ignited the Mountaineer offense. An error from North Dakota State paired with a kill from junior middle blocker Laila Ibrahim gave WVU a comfortable 19-15 lead. Tanton slammed the door on set three with back-to-back kills, 25-20.
 
The Mountaineers wasted no time in the fourth set, taking a 10-6 advantage after a pair of Bison errors and kills from Coyle and Tanton. West Virginia held the lead throughout the rest of the set, as a 3-0 Mountaineer run made the score, 16-11. A late effort from North Dakota State didn’t slow WVU, as McGath closed out the fourth with a kill, 25-23.
 
A kill from Tanton kicked off the fifth and final set for West Virginia. The Mountaineers once again held the high ground throughout the set, as they led 8-6 at the halfway point. WVU went on to close out the match with a 7-3 run, taking the fifth set 15-9.
 
Next, the Mountaineers will face off against Northern Iowa on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, inside of the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N.D.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – Over $19 million is set to be distributed across the state to help fight against the opioid crisis.

The funds will be distributed through West Virginia First Foundation’s inaugural Initial Opportunity Grant.

This initiative aims to deploy funds to prevent substance use disorder, support recovery and save lives.

Recipients will be chosen based on how each proposal will support recovery and healing in the local community.

Online applications for the grant are open now. Applications are due by October 5th, and recipients will be announced by December 31st.

For more information on the grant, how they will be evaluated and how to apply, visit wvfirst.org/grants.

“Thousands of West Virginians are working every day to help their fellow citizens battle substance use disorder and the myriad of negative consequences of this disease,” said WVFF Executive Director Jonathan Board. “The West Virginia First Foundation is committed and eager to get this crucial funding to new and innovative programs, and organizations already in the trenches, working with such dedication, and truly making a difference. We realize the enormity of the task ahead, and we know we have one chance to get it right. We’ve taken the last several months to really listen to the stakeholders and experts, and to review the latest data and best practices. We have protections and standards in place now, so when the funding is distributed, it’ll be done in a sound and transparent way.”

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The West Virginia Mountaineers have a great opportunity to get that bad taste out of their mouth from the season-opening loss to Penn State by hosting the Albany Great Danes out of the FCS level.

This week’s game will kick off at approximately 6 p.m. EST on Big 12 Now/ESPN+ where Richard Cross and Barrett Brooks will serve as the play-by-play and color analyst. Brooks played his college ball at Kansas State and spent over ten years in the NFL as an offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

WVU head coach Neal Brown’s hope and ultimate goal is to grab firm control of this one in the early going so that he and his staff can log a healthy chunk of reps to their reserves and walk-ons who probably won’t get to see much action throughout much of the season, if at all.

In their FCS game a year ago against Duquesne, walk-on wide receiver Hudson Clement busted out with five receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns which earned him a scholarship in the locker room shortly after the game. Although WVU may not have a walk-on on the verge of breaking out, they hope to find more depth along the defensive line, secondary, and tight end.

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