The West Virginia Volleyball team (12-0, 0-0) extended its winning streak this weekend at the Dolphin Volleyball Classic in Jacksonville, Fla., at the Swisher Gymnasium. The Mountaineers came out victorious once again over Florida A&M, Jacksonville, and Jacksonville State. Read more 12 and Counting: WVU Volleyball’s Perfect Start.
Dolphin Volleyball Classic Opener
The classic began on Thursday, September 18th, with the Mountaineers taking on the Florida A&M Rattlers. The Mountaineers, with their fifth consecutive sweep, succeeded in taking the Rattlers down with set scores of 25-14, 25-14, and 28-26.
This match, being WVU’s fifth straight sweep, has tied the program record for the best start to a season. The Mountaineers totaled 34 kills, 13 service aces, and eight blocks, and hit .266.
The opening set was a fiery one, directed straight at the Rattlers. West Virginia hit .409 with 11 kills on 22 attempts, five service aces and three blocks. The second set was quick, as the Mountaineers finished with 10 kills and five more aces. The third and final set (28-26) tested WVU’s composure, where they came out on top. The Mountaineers swung at a .242 clip with 13 kills, three aces, and four blocks to secure the sweep.
Outside hitter Nina Horning led the offense, finishing with eight kills, three aces, and five digs to total 11.5 points. Trinity Sheridan had an amazing match, finishing with 10 points from hitting .692 with nine kills and two blocks. Cassidy Tanton, also an outside hitter, contributed eight kills, two aces, and a block for 10.5 points.
Setters Alexis Finnvold and Sarah Pfiffner led the offense with 26 assists combined. Finnvold added two aces and three digs, while Pfiffner added one ace and three digs.
Middle blockers Maddy McGath and Laila Ibrahim added two kills each, and 7 blocks combined. McGath recorded 6.5 points.
LonDynn Betts, libero, achieved the game-high 12 digs and two service aces.
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WVU versus Jacksonville
On day two, the Mountaineers took on the Jacksonville Dolphins on their home turf. WVU achieved their sixth sweep in a row with set scores of 25-22, 25-17, 25-22. This victory not only sets the Mountaineers even further ahead in sweeps, but surpasses the previous 10-0 record of the best start to a season in program history. The Mountaineers achieved a 10-0 record in 2021 and 2013.
The Mountaineers totaled 36 kills, five service aces, six total blocks, and hit .258 as a team. The opening set allowed the Mountaineers to establish early control of the game, with 12 kills, one ace, and two blocks. Set two was WVU’s most efficient offensive stretch, hitting .423 and 12 kills with only one error on 26 swings. The Mountaineers also achieved three aces and two blocks. Set three amounted to a dip in hitting percentage (.111), but the Mountaineers remained aggressive, adding 12 kills, one ace, and two blocks.
Horning led the scoring effort with 10 kills on 20 attempts, one ace, four digs, and one block, to total 11.5 points. Tanton contributed seven kills, two aces, and six digs for 9.5 points. Sheridan finished with six points, adding five kills, two digs, and two total blocks.
Setters Finnvold and Pfiffner directed the offense once again with 16 assists each. Both had four digs each, and Finnvold added two aces.
McGath found four kills and five total blocks for 6.5 points, while Ibrahim added five kills and one block.
Final Appearance – Jacksonville State
The Mountaineers challenged the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on the last day of the Dolphin Volleyball Classic, and their last non-conference match. Going in undefeated, the Mountaineers extended their winning streak 12-0. With set scores of 25-21, 25-20, and 25-21, WVU’s victory marked their fourth consecutive tournament championship and their seventh straight sweep.
WVU totaled 34 kills, six service aces, and eight total blocks, hitting .273 as a team. In the first set, the Mountaineers had a hitting percentage of .320 to find 11 kills on 25 attempts. Along with their momentum at the net, the Mountaineers also had two service aces and three blocks. In the second set, WVU achieved 13 kills on 32 swings, another ace, and a block. The team secured the sweep with 10 kills, three service aces, and four blocks.
Sheridan led the offensive against the Gamecocks, with eight kills on 16 attempts, adding one block to finish with 8.5 points. Horning added seven kills, one ace, seven digs, and three blocks for a team-high 9.5 points. Tanton added eight kills, one ace, and five digs, totaling nine points. Anna Barr also added six kills and two blocks for seven points.
Middle blocker, Ibrahim, added four kills and five total blocks, while McGath found one kill, one ace, two digs, and three total blocks.
Setters Finnvold and Pfiffner contributed 16 and 14 assists, respectively, with a combined eight digs and one ace. Libero, LonDynn Betts, anchored the back row with 14 digs and two aces.
Conference Play
Finishing their non-conference schedule 12-0, the Mountaineers are set to open the Big 12 Conference slate by facing the Cincinnati Bearcats. WVU will be traveling to the Fifth Third Arena on Saturday, September 27th, and will play at 1 p.m. ET.
