FAIRMONT, WV – The UVA Wise Volleyball team went 1-1 on their opening day of the season as they fell in the first match to Palm Beach Atlantic 3-0 before coming back to take the nightcap against Slippery Rock 3-2 in the Fairmont State Classic.
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS
Final Match One: Palm Beach Atlantic 3, UVA Wise 0
Final Match Two: UVA Wise 3, Slippery Rock 2
Records: UVA Wise (1-1), Palm Beach Atlantic (1-1), Slippery Rock (1-1)
Location: Fairmont, WV | Feaster Center
VS. PALM BEACH ATLANTIC
- Palm Beach Atl. secured the first set with a 25-15 victory, capitalizing on a strong finish. They surged ahead midway through the set and never looked back in the win.
- The Cavaliers started the second set strong with a 4-0 lead, highlighted by a kill from
Riley Brandon and a service ace. She ended the set with three kills and two digs. After rolling out to a 9-4 lead, the Sailfish came back and used a late 10-0 run to take the set.
- UVA Wise rallied to a 7-5 lead with a 6-point run, featuring two service aces by
Serina Petersen.
Mailea Hufnagel led the Highland Cavaliers with five kills in the set. After PBAU grabbed the lead, the Cavs would cut it to one on several occasions before tying it at 22-22. PBAU then closed out the set on a 3-0 run to take the match.
- Brandon and Hufnagel led the team with six kills each. Brandon also had five assists, an ace, and six digs. Petersen led the Cavs with four service aces and added five kills on ten attempts. Suddeth contributed 11 assists and recorded two service aces while collecting eight digs.
Mia Poag tallied 12 digs to lead the team in her first game as a Highland Cavalier.
VS SLIPPERY ROCK
- The teams tied twice early on before Slippery Rock used a 4-0 run to pull ahead. They slowly extended the lead and ultimately closed the set at 25-15.
- The second set opened with a strong defensive effort from the Cavs, highlighted by a block from Petersen and
Mailea Hufnagel, leading to an early 3-1 advantage.
Piper Suddeth orchestrated the offense with precision, contributing multiple assists during a 5-1 run. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 19-13 via several kills by Hufnagel and Poag, who closed the set with six kills each. The set concluded with another block by Petersen, sealing a 25-17 victory for UVA Wise. For the set, the Cavs hit .353
- The third set began with a tight exchange of points, as Suddeth consistently set up her teammates, contributing to key kills by Brandon and
Annabelle Dowell, bringing the score to 3-3 early on. SRU then grabbed a small lead and never led by more than two before the Cavs chipped away and eventually tied it at 21-21. UVA Wise would take a lead of their own, eventually leading 24-22 before the Rock ended the set with a 4-0 run to win 26-24.
- After the break, the Cavaliers came out and pounded the Rock by a 25-13 margin. The Cavs hit .194 for the set, led by seven kills from Poag, and held Slippery Rock to -.147 hitting for the set.
- UVA Wise started the fifth set with momentum as Brandon delivered a service ace at the outset. Suddeth's playmaking was pivotal, contributing multiple assists including key setups for Poag, who recorded consecutive kills, and Petersen, who added crucial points to the board. They would rally from 4-1 down to lead 9-7 before going on a 4-1 run. The Cavs extended the lead to 14-10 and were able to weather a run by the Rock before ending the game with a block by Petersen and
Mia Bradley. The win was the first by UVA Wise over the Rock in five tries.
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Mia Poag led all players with 25 kills, which are the most kills in a match since
Kaylee Scarce had 22 at LMU on Nov. 6, 2023, and are two shy of the program's NCAA record of 27 set by Ciara Kain vs. Milligan on Sept. 13, 2017, and Karley Allen at Urbana on Oct.16, 2015. Poag also chipped in 16 digs for her first career double-double.
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Riley Brandon had 13 kills, while Hufnagel had eleven.
- Suddeth had a career high 46 assists in the match to go along with twelve digs.
Abigail Curtis led the team in digs with 19.
UP NEXT
The Cavs will play two matches tomorrow to close out the Fairmont State Classic. They play host Fairmont State at noon and will close out the weekend against Elizabeth City State at 4 p.m.
