WISE - - UVa-Wise volleyball dropped a close match to Fairmont State University Friday night, 3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-19, 16-14). The Cavaliers jumped ahead 2-0 to start the match, but the Fighting Falcons would win the last three to take the match in five sets.

Freshman Matelyn Gibson led the offense with 17 kills while sophomore Madelyn Lawrence recorded 14 kills and posted a .345 hitting percentage. Senior Kyra Jessee and freshman Kelsey Green also registered double-digit kills with 12 and 10, respectively. Sophomore Makayla Ledford tallied 52 of the Cavs (4-17, 1-6 MEC) 58 assists on the night while junior Morgan Milligan posted 29 digs in the loss.

Fairmont State (8-12, 3-5 MEC) pulled ahead to a 13-8 advantage as the Cavs called a timeout early in the first set. UVa-Wise would slowly strip away the Fighting Falcons lead, tying the set at 20-20 on a kill by Gibson, assisted by Ledford. Back-to-back service aces by junior Briana Kerr would give the Cavs a two-point advantage late in the set, 23-21, before the Cavs went on to take set one, 25-23.

The two teams battled it out in set two, with the Cavs ahead early before Fairmont State took the lead, 13-12. UVa-Wise would regain the lead on a kill by Green, but the two teams would continue to trade points until the Cavs gained a two-point, 23-21, lead. Back-to-back kills by sophomore Brooke Abbott and Jessee would seal the set two win for UVa-Wise, 25-22.

Holding a 2-0 lead in the match, UVa-Wise looked to complete the shutout in set three, claiming a 17-15 lead on a kill by Lawrence. An attack error by the Cavs would tie the set 19-19, before the Fighting Falcons went on a 6-0 run to close out the set with a 25-19 win for Fairmont State.

The momentum shifted in favor of Fairmont State going into set four as the Fighting Falcons held a 17-10 lead over the Cavs. UVa-Wise managed to chip away at Fairmont State's lead to get within two points on a kill by Jessee, 19-17, but Fairmont maintained its lead as the team took the fourth set by a score of 25-19.

UVa-Wise would take an early 7-5 lead in the fifth set but Fairmont State would come from behind to knot the set at 7-7. An attack error by Fairmont State would put the Cavs head, 12-8, but the Fighting Falcons would claw their way back to tie the set once again, 14-14. Fairmont State would win the last two points on a pair of attack errors to take the set, 16-14, and earn a 3-2 victory in the match.

The Cavs posted 59 kills and 87 digs in the match while the Fighting Falcons tallied 61 kills, 55 assists, and 82 digs in Fairmont State's win.

Volleyball returns to action tomorrow with an 11 a.m. matchup against Shepherd University inside the Prior Center.