MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team tallied a season-best road score, but fell, 196.225-195.425, to Iowa State inside Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, on Friday night.
 
The Mountaineers (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) bested their previous high road score of 194.000 from their season opener in a quad meet at Towson on Jan. 14. West Virginia was led by junior Abbie Pierson, who logged stellar performances on each event in which she competed, including event wins on vault and balance beam. Her night was highlighted by a career-high 9.95 on vault, becoming the first Mountaineer to earn a 9.95 on the event since Kirah Koshinski on Feb. 22, 2019.
 
Iowa State outscored West Virginia on vault, balance beam and uneven bars, but WVU secured a narrow 49.25-49.225 victory on floor exercise. Despite finishing second to the Cyclones on vault, the Mountaineers tallied a season-high 49.125 on the event of their first vault score of 49.0+ of the season.
 
"This team continues to show its potential, especially when we face adversity, but potential won't get us where we need to be in the conference or post-seasons," WVU coach Jason Butts said. "I'm very proud of the grit this team has and the hard work and prep they put in. We have a few meets under our belt now, so we have to start executing our gymnastics and planning and taking care of the little details."
 
Pierson led WVU with solo event wins on vault and beam, while senior Kendra Combs added a pair of event wins as well. Combs finished tied for second on beam with a 9.85, before going on to match her career high on floor and finish tied for first place with a 9.9. The lone competitor in the all-around, Combs totaled a 39.025 across all four events.
 
West Virginia opened the meet on the uneven bars, where junior Kianna Yancey finished fourth overall with a 9.8 to lead the Mountaineers' lineup. Freshman Anna Leigh added a 9.750, while senior Esperanza Abarca secured a season-high matching 9.725. Combs and classmate Rachel Hornung tallied a pair of 9.7s to give WVU a 48.675 on the event.
 
In the second rotation, the Mountaineers earned a season-best 49.125 on vault, led by Pierson's career-high 9.95 in the lineup's anchor position. Hornung and sophomore Kiana Lewis added a pair of 9.8+ scores, as Lewis tallied a 9.825 for a tie for fourth overall and Hornung secured a 9.8. Yancey rounded out West Virginia's scoring lineup with a 9.775.
 
Earning her second consecutive 9.9, Combs led WVU on floor in the third rotation, finishing in a tie for first overall with ISU's Laura Cooke. Leigh and Yancey finished just off the podium with a pair of 9.85s, while Pierson and Lewis each secured a 9.825 on floor. Earning five scores of 9.8 or higher for the third straight meet, West Virginia edged out Iowa State for the floor title with a 49.25.
 
With the team scores neck-and-neck heading into the final rotation, WVU started its beam lineup with a strong 9.7 from sophomore Agatha Handono in the leadoff position. Pierson went on to win the beam title with a season-high 9.875, while Combs finished tied for second, also with a season-best 9.85. Sophomore Chloe Asper notched her own season high with a 9.825, just missing the podium in fourth place. However, the Mountaineers were forced to count a fall on beam, landing them second to the Cyclones in the final team standings after notching a 48.375 in the final rotation.
 
Of note, freshman Brynn Freehling made her Mountaineer debut at Iowa State on Friday night, appearing in the No. 6 spot on floor exercise and earning a 9.65 in her first career performance.
 
"Overall, I'll take tonight, even though I think we gave away a win," Butts added. "We made progress and had some incredible highlights, but we have a lot of work to do to hit our goals as we progress throughout the season."
 
The Mountaineers continue their three-meet road swing with a pair of meets next week. First up, WVU travels to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to take on No. 13 Arkansas on Friday, Feb. 4. The meet is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET, inside Barnhill Arena.
 
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