MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University volleyball team (13–2, 1–2 Big 12) earned a landmark win on Friday night, defeating No. 19 BYU in a five-set thriller (26–24, 14–25, 25–23, 25–19, 15–12). This victory marks the program's fifth win against a ranked opponent in its history and the first-ever home win against a ranked team. It is also the first victory over a ranked opponent since 2021, when WVU swept then-No. 23 Michigan in the Navy Tournament. Additionally, it represents the Mountaineers' first triumph over BYU, having previously lost all four meetings in straight sets.
WVU opened the match with a dominant first set, registering 18 kills and a .286 hitting percentage. After a setback in the second set, where the team managed only seven kills and hit .069, the Mountaineers rebounded in the third with nine kills and a .030 clip. Despite dropping the fourth set, WVU responded with poise in the decisive fifth, tallying eight kills and hitting .238 to secure the historic win.
Redshirt senior outside hitter
Cassidy Tanton led the Mountaineers with 21 kills on 59 attempts, tying for the match high. She added 11 digs and two total blocks to finish with 22.5 points, second-most in the match. Her performance marked her 17th career double-double and continued a streak of back-to-back 20-plus kill matches and consecutive contests with at least 11 digs.
Redshirt junior opposite
Trinity Sheridan contributed 11 kills and six total blocks (two solo, four assists), totaling 15 points. Junior middle blocker
Maddy McGath was highly efficient, hitting .375 with eight kills on 16 attempts and leading the match with seven total blocks (two solo, five assists), earning 12.5 points. Junior outside hitter
Nina Horning added eight kills, one service ace, five digs, and one block assist for 9.5 points.
Senior setter
Alexis Finnvold directed the offense with 23 assists, seven digs, and one service ace. Freshman setter
Sarah Pfiffner added 19 assists and 10 digs, recording her first career double-double. Senior libero
LonDynn Betts anchored the backcourt with a game-high 24 digs, seven assists, and a service ace.
Freshman right-side hitter
Anna Barr provided depth off the bench with two kills, while senior middle blocker
Laila Ibrahim added two kills and a block. Senior middle blocker
Chalina Lederer and senior opposite
Lauren Bodily contributed timely kills and blocks to round out the Mountaineers' balanced attack.
West Virginia finished the match with 54 kills on 154 attempts and a .156 hitting percentage. The team also recorded 52 assists and one service ace. Defensively, WVU compiled 65 digs and 12 total blocks, including five solo and 14 block assists, effectively disrupting BYU's offensive rhythm.
The Mountaineers will return to action on Wednesday, October 8, hosting Cincinnati at 6 p.m. in Morgantown, West Virginia, at the Hope Coliseum. The teams last met on September 27 in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the Bearcats claimed a 3–1 victory.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
