Box Score WHEELING, W.Va. – The UVa-Wise women's volleyball team lost a highly competitive five-set match to Shepherd University Thursday evening in the opening round of the Mountain East Conference Volleyball Tournament. The Cavaliers (15-17, 10-6 MEC) were defeated 3-2 (27-25, 23-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-11) by the Rams (16-16, 9-7 MEC) in the quarterfinal contest played on the campus of top-seeded Wheeling Jesuit University was won
 
In the first two sets UVa-Wise started strong and gained large early leads. The Cavs won both the second and third sets but were not able to take the pivotal fourth set and came up just short in the fifth.
 
The Cavs got off to a hot start in the opening set, grabbing a 9-3 lead and staying ahead for a seven-point advantage at 17-10. However, that lead would be the Cavs' largest as the Rams battled their way back winning six of the next eight points. Outside hitter Karley Allen made a kill to give UVa-Wise a 20-16 lead before Shepherd claimed four consecutive points to tie up the set 20-20. The score would be tied five more times and although the Cavs had set point twice at 24-23 and 25-24, the Rams won three points in a row to earn the first set 27-25.
 
Once again in the second set the Cavs jumped out to an early lead, this time holding a 10-4 advantage that was ballooned to 14-7. The Rams slowly crept their way back into the set and cut the Cavs' lead to two at 17-15. Winning seven of the next 10 points, Shepherd took back the lead to go up two at 22-20 before UVa-Wise won five of the following six points to win the second set 25-23 and tie the match at a set a piece.
 
The third set was very competitive in the early going with neither team holding more than a three-point advantage through most of the stanza. UVa-Wise held the largest leads in the set at 9-6 and again at 21-18 before taking four of the final five points in the set to win 25-19 and grab a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The Rams came out determined in the fourth set and quickly mounted a six-point 12-6 lead on the Cavs. Following a timeout UVa-Wise found itself down by eight at 15-7 before the Cavs rattled off three straight points to force a Shepherd timeout. The Cavs continued to trail and got no closer than four points until the Rams held set point at 24-18. UVa-Wise won three consecutive points to make it 24-21 but a kill from Shepherd's Samantha Scroggins' sealed the 25-21 set win for the Rams and nodded the match score at 2-2.
 
Four kills in the first eight points gave the Cavs a quick 6-2 lead in the final stanza but after a Shepherd timeout the score was tied up at seven-all. The Rams continued their comeback by winning six of the following seven points to build a 13-8 lead. UVa-Wise showed resiliency and climbed back into the match by taking the next three points to make it 13-11. However, Shepherd got two kills from Grace Simmons to clinch the fifth set 15-11 and the match 3-2.
 
All told UVa-Wise hit .121 for the match as each team registered 58 total kills. Shepherd recorded an attack percentage of .165 and claimed 76 digs, while the Cavs earned 84 digs. UVa-Wise was out-blocked 16 total to eight total but gained more assists (55) than the Rams (52). The Cavs also got nine aces compared to Shepherd's five.
 
"I just want to say how proud I am of this team", remarked Head Coach Kristen Salyer. "I feel like they left it all out there. We may have came up a little bit short but I don't think there was any question in our heart tonight. We are a little bit younger, we're not quite as experienced and it's the first time we've ever made the MEC tournament but I'm very proud of the effort they brought. Coming up short definitely isn't a great feeling but I don't really have any regrets looking back on it."
 
"The way we played tonight is the way we should play every night", junior Karley Allen added. "While it is awful to lose it's also good knowing that we still have that heart, that's whenever I enjoy playing volleyball and why I do play volleyball, for that heart. Even though we lost we did see that tonight."
 
Allen had an outstanding game, leading the Cavs with a match-high 25 kills and 23 digs. The Lanexa, Virginia (New Kent H.S.), native and All-MEC First Team selection ends the season only 40 digs away from moving into third-place on UVa-Wise's all-time digs list.
 
MEC All-Freshman Team and All-MEC Honorable Mention selection Amanda Auxier hit .342 and posted 16 kills to go along with five blocks, while senior right side hitter Simona Zduoba tied her career-high in blocks with six total. Junior libero Erin Anderson totaled 21 digs on defense as freshman setter Chandler Rouse made 54 assists.
 
Shepherd was led by Sophie Foster and Simmons on offense, each tallying 13 kills as Foster hit .423 for the match. The Rams' Scroggins claimed 10 kills and 14 digs while Cyera Dixon made 17 digs and Kelsey Anderson added 15 more.
 
The match wraps up the winningest season for Cavalier volleyball since 2007. The 15 victories also mark the most wins in a single season for coach Salyer in her fourth year at the helm of the program.