MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University volleyball team (9-5, 2-2 Big 12) dropped a 3-1 decision to Houston on Sunday afternoon at Hope Coliseum. The Cougars won by set scores of 21-25, 25-18, 25-20 and 25-23.
 
WVU added two first-time starters to the lineup in freshman middle blocker Cami Huff and freshman outside hitter Saar Bertels, while graduate student Sophia Fallah saw her first action of the season.
 
The Mountaineers came out strong in the opening set, hitting .382 with 16 kills on 34 attacks. WVU used a trio of service aces from senior middle blocker Maddy McGath to build an 11-8 advantage before extending its lead to 21-17. The Mountaineers closed the set on a kill from senior outside hitter Nina Horning to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Horning led WVU with seven kills on 13 attacks in the opening frame, while sophomore right side Anna Barr added two kills.
 
Houston (10-5, 3-1 Big 12) responded in the second set, taking an early 10-4 lead before WVU battled back to make it 15-15. The Cougars then used a 6-0 run to take control, building a 21-15 advantage before claiming the set, 25-18, to even the match.
 
The Cougars carried the momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 9-5 lead and later extending their advantage to 16-6. WVU attempted to rally late, using an 11-2 run behind a pair of service aces from junior defensive specialist/libero Eily Painter to cut the deficit to 23-19. The Mountaineers continued to fight, but Houston held on for a 25-20 win and a 2-1 match lead.
 
WVU again found itself in a tight battle in the fourth set. The Mountaineers led 12-11 before Houston scored three straight points to take a 14-12 advantage. The Cougars later built a 22-16 lead, but WVU responded with a 6-1 run to pull within one point. Horning delivered a kill to make it 21-23 before McGath and Barr combined for a block that put the score at 22-23.
 
The Cougars finished the match, 25-23, on a kill from junior outside hitter Kamille Gibson.

Barr paced the Mountaineers offensively with 13 kills while hitting .393 on 28 attacks. Horning finished with 12 kills, six digs and a block, while McGath added four kills, four aces, three digs and two blocks. Senior setter Alexis Finnvold totaled 27 assists and eight digs.

 

Freshman defensive specialist/libero Reagan Turk anchored the WVU defense with 12 digs. Painter contributed two of the team’s seven service aces, while the Mountaineers finished with five total blocks.

 

Houston was led by junior outside hitter Sydney Jones, who recorded a match-high 24 kills while hitting .442. Gibson added 14 kills and 17 points, while sophomore outside hitter Noemi Despaigne finished with 15 kills.

 

West Virginia is now 1-6 all-time against Houston. WVU head coach Jen Greeny is 1-2 against the Cougars.

 

The Mountaineers head to Utah for two matches. They are set to face the Utes on Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. ET at the Jon M. Huntsman Center and No. 18 BYU on Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. ET at George Albert Smith Fieldhouse.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Facebook, Instagram and X.