MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In its first dual meet of the season, the West Virginia University gymnastics team fell to Pitt by a score of 195.200-196.550 inside Fitzgerald Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Friday night.
 
The Panthers (6-6) topped the Mountaineers (7-5) on every event, including 48.725-48.5 on vault, 49.4-48.85 on uneven bars, 49.15-48.675 on balance beam and 49.275-49.175 on floor exercise.
 
WVU opened the competition on the uneven bars and secured a season-high 48.85 team total. Sophomore Brooke Alban led the rotation with a 9.825, while classmate Anna Leigh followed with a 9.775. Freshman Miranda Smith also posted a 9.775, earning a new career-best on the event. Senior Kianna Yancey earned a 9.75, and fifth-year senior Kendra Combs completed the rotation with a 9.725.
 
Moving to vault, the Mountaineers struggled a bit with a 48.5 total on the event. A pair of freshmen earned the top scores of the rotation, with Brooke Irwin and Emma Wehry posting matching 9.775s. Junior Kiana Lewis followed with a 9.725, while freshman Carlee Nelson and senior Abbie Pierson rounded out the scoring with a 9.625 and 9.6, respectively.
 
On floor, West Virginia's best event, it scored a 49.0+ for the fifth straight meet with a 49.175. Senior Emily Holmes-Hackerd once again paced the rotation, posting a 9.875, while fifth-year senior Kendra Combs tallied a season-high 9.85. Senior Abbie Pierson and junior Ellen Collins scored matching 9.825s, and Lewis capped the scoring with a 9.8. Of note, Collins made her career debut on the event, as well as her 2023 season debut, and earned her highest score on any event in her career.
 
WVU finished the meet on balance beam and earned a 48.675 team total. Yancey led the way with a season-high matching 9.85. Pierson posted a 9.775, while Holmes-Hackerd added a 9.75. Combs secured a 9.7, before junior Agatha Handono made her season debut and capped the rotation with a 9.6.
 
In the final individual event standings, Irwin and Wehry finished in a tie for third on vault, while Yancey finished solo third on beam. On floor, Holmes-Hackerd finished in a tie for first place, marking her fourth consecutive meet atop the final floor standings.
 
The Mountaineers now continue their road swing next weekend, as they travel to Denver, Colorado, to take on Big 12-foe No. 8 Denver on Sunday, Feb. 12. Action inside Magness Arena is slated for 4 p.m. ET.
 
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