Box Score INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The UVa-Wise women's volleyball team secured at least a No. 4 seed in the upcoming Mountain East Conference tournament with a five-set 3-2 (25-17, 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 15-6) road win at West Virginia State Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cavaliers (15-14, 10-4 MEC) snapped a four-match losing streak and a three-match skid in MEC play, while West Virginia State dropped to 8-16 overall and 4-10 in league play. The Cavs 15th victory marks the most wins in a single season for UVa-Wise Head Coach Kristen Salyer during her four years at the helm of the program.
 
The Cavs jumped out to a two sets to none lead on the host Yellow Jackets before coming up short in both the third and fourth sets, only to capture the fifth set 15-6. UVa-Wise earned both the first and sets in convincing fashion as the Cavs took set one 25-17 and set two 25-18. The third and fourth sets proved to be much more difficult for the visiting Cavs. West Virginia State led the entirety of both the third and fourth sets, grabbing the third 25-21 and the fourth 25-18.
 
UVa-Wise won four of the first six points in the fifth set to jump out to a 4-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets came within one point at 4-3 but that would be the closest they would get to the Cavs in the set. The Cavs rattled off nine of the following 11 points to hold a strong 13-5 advantage. From there the Yellow Jackets were only able to get one more point in the match off of a kill by Mallory Rennard as UVa-Wise won four of the final five points to claim the deciding set 15-6 and earn the 3-2 match victory.
 
The Cavs hit .258 for the match including .400 in the final set and totaled 64 kills, while the Yellow jackets hit .189 and made 53 kills. UVa-Wise recorded 80 digs, 57 assists, seven aces and seven total team blocks in the five sets. West Virginia State collected 87 digs, 50 assists and 10 total team blocks in the loss.
 
Junior outside hitter Karley Allen led the Cavs on offense with 23 kills while junior Erin Anderson led the Cavs defensively by tying her career-high in digs with 30. Allen also added 17 digs while senior outside hitter Kelsey Smith continued her fine play as of late with 14 digs of her own.
 
Freshman setter Chandler Rouse dished out 54 assists in the five sets as freshman outside hitter Ciara Kain and freshman middle blocker Amanda Auxier each registered 11 kills. Junior middle blocker Santana Bishop made five blocks Auxier added three and Rouse earned two.
 
Rebekah Baldwin had 15 kills to lead the Yellow Jackets offensively as Brooke Cieslewski tallied a match-high 31 digs. Mallory Rennard grabbed five blocks for West Virginia State with Edwina Barnett and Baldwin each adding four blocks of their own.
 
The Cavs will now wrap up their five-match MEC road trip to end the regular season next Thursday and Friday when UVa-Wise travels to Shepherd University and Fairmont State.
 
The MEC Volleyball Tournament begins Thursday, Nov. 19, and will take place on the campus of the No. 1 seed.
 
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