Friday, August 28
Morgantown, W.Va.
6 p.m.
West Virginia University
1-0,0-0Big 12
3
vs
1
UTRGV
0-1,0-0Southland
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTRGV | 14 | 18 | 25 | 18 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball Opens the 2026 Season Defeating UTRGV in Four Sets
August 28, 2026 10:26 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University volleyball team (1–0, 0–0 Big 12) opened the 2026 season at home for the first time since 2018, earning a 3-1 victory over Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) (0-1, 0-0 Southland) on Friday night at Hope Coliseum. The Mountaineers won by set scores of 25-14, 25-18, 23-25 and 25-18.
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With the win, West Virginia extended its nonconference winning streak, dating back to 2024, to 16 matches.
Senior outside hitter Nina Horning led the Mountaineers with a match-high 17 kills while hitting .387. Sophomore outside hitter Anna Barr added 13 kills on .391 hitting, as WVU finished the night with a .324 hitting percentage. It marked the first time the Mountaineers hit .300 or better since Sept. 14, 2025, against Delaware State.
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Redshirt senior setter Alexis Finnvold paced the offense with 28 assists while also sharing a team-high nine digs with graduate student defensive specialist/libero Lucie Šmardová.
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Freshman middle blocker Mirjam Kask and Barr each finished with a match-high six blocks, helping West Virginia record 11 blocks as a team and hold UTRGV to a .158 hitting percentage.
West Virginia controlled the opening two sets to take a 2-0 lead. After UTRGV held an 11-10 advantage in the opening frame, the Mountaineers closed the set on a 12-2 run to secure a 25-14 victory. WVU then carried the momentum into the second set, winning 25-18.
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UTRGV responded in the third set, overcoming an early WVU advantage to take a 25-23 decision and force a fourth set. West Virginia started the third set 3-0 before giving up a 5-0 run. UTRGV maintained its advantage throughout the remainder of the frame, holding off a late Mountaineer push to claim the set, 25-23, and force a fourth set.
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The Mountaineers regained control in the final frame, using a four-point run midway through to build separation. WVU closed the match on a 5-1 run, capped by an attack error from the Vaqueros, to secure the 25-18 victory.
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The match marked the first meeting between West Virginia and UTRGV in program history.
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The Mountaineers return to action Sunday, Aug. 30, taking on UMBC at noon ET at Hope Coliseum to conclude the Country Roads Challenge.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Facebook, Instagram and X.
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With the win, West Virginia extended its nonconference winning streak, dating back to 2024, to 16 matches.
Senior outside hitter Nina Horning led the Mountaineers with a match-high 17 kills while hitting .387. Sophomore outside hitter Anna Barr added 13 kills on .391 hitting, as WVU finished the night with a .324 hitting percentage. It marked the first time the Mountaineers hit .300 or better since Sept. 14, 2025, against Delaware State.
Â
Redshirt senior setter Alexis Finnvold paced the offense with 28 assists while also sharing a team-high nine digs with graduate student defensive specialist/libero Lucie Šmardová.
Â
Freshman middle blocker Mirjam Kask and Barr each finished with a match-high six blocks, helping West Virginia record 11 blocks as a team and hold UTRGV to a .158 hitting percentage.
West Virginia controlled the opening two sets to take a 2-0 lead. After UTRGV held an 11-10 advantage in the opening frame, the Mountaineers closed the set on a 12-2 run to secure a 25-14 victory. WVU then carried the momentum into the second set, winning 25-18.
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UTRGV responded in the third set, overcoming an early WVU advantage to take a 25-23 decision and force a fourth set. West Virginia started the third set 3-0 before giving up a 5-0 run. UTRGV maintained its advantage throughout the remainder of the frame, holding off a late Mountaineer push to claim the set, 25-23, and force a fourth set.
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The Mountaineers regained control in the final frame, using a four-point run midway through to build separation. WVU closed the match on a 5-1 run, capped by an attack error from the Vaqueros, to secure the 25-18 victory.
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The match marked the first meeting between West Virginia and UTRGV in program history.
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The Mountaineers return to action Sunday, Aug. 30, taking on UMBC at noon ET at Hope Coliseum to conclude the Country Roads Challenge.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Players Mentioned
RS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
UTRGV
WVU
Kills
42
52
Errors
23
18
Attempts
120
105
Hitting %
.158
.324
Points
56.0
68.0
Assists
39
47
Aces
7
5
Blocks
7
11
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Thursday, August 27
Saturday, October 04
Thursday, October 02
Tuesday, September 30
