Sunday, August 30
Morgantown, W.Va.
12 p.m.
West Virginia University
1-1,0-0Big 12
2
vs
3
UMBC
2-0,0-0America East
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMBC | 25 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 3 |
| West Virginia | 23 | 13 | 25 | 25 | 13 | 2 |
Mountaineers Rally From Two-Set Deficit, Fall to UMBC in Five Sets
August 30, 2026 03:47 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University volleyball team (1-1, 0-0 Big 12) battled back from a two-set deficit to force a decisive fifth set before falling to America East favorite UMBC (2-0, 0-0 America East), 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at Hope Coliseum. The Mountaineers dropped the match by scores of 23-25, 13-25, 25-19, 25-18 and 13-15.
With the loss, West Virginia's 16-match nonconference winning streak came to an end. The defeat marked WVU's first nonconference loss since Sept. 13, 2024, against East Tennessee State.
After struggling offensively through the opening two sets, the Mountaineers found their rhythm in the third, recording 16 kills on 35 attacks while hitting .343. West Virginia carried that momentum into the fourth set, hitting .235 and forcing the match to a fifth set.
Senior outside hitter Nina Horning paced the Mountaineers with 15 kills, while freshman outside hitter Macie Smith added 11 and sophomore right side Anna Barr finished with 10. Freshman middle blocker Mirjam Kask was efficient throughout the match, recording five kills on nine attempts for a .444 hitting percentage, while also adding five blocks.
Alexis Finnvold directed the WVU offense with 36 assists and led the team defensively with 11 digs. Finnvold continued to impress from the service line, connecting on three aces.
Freshman defensive specialist/libero Cassie Bruns added eight digs, while West Virginia totaled 14.0 team blocks. Senior middle blocker Maddy McGath led the Mountaineers at the net with seven blocks. McGath also matched her career high with two service aces.
The fifth set featured a back-and-forth battle, with eight ties and three lead changes. WVU held a 7-5 advantage before the reigning America East champions answered with four consecutive points to take a 9-7 lead. The Mountaineers battled back to tie the set at 13-13, but the Retrievers scored the final two points to secure the 15-13 victory and the 3-2 match win.
Sunday's contest marked the 11th all-time meeting between West Virginia and UMBC, with the Mountaineers holding a 9-2 advantage in the series.
WVU returns to action Friday, Sept. 4, taking on FAU at 1 p.m. ET at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, for the first round of the Sunshine State Classic.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Facebook, Instagram and X.
With the loss, West Virginia's 16-match nonconference winning streak came to an end. The defeat marked WVU's first nonconference loss since Sept. 13, 2024, against East Tennessee State.
After struggling offensively through the opening two sets, the Mountaineers found their rhythm in the third, recording 16 kills on 35 attacks while hitting .343. West Virginia carried that momentum into the fourth set, hitting .235 and forcing the match to a fifth set.
Senior outside hitter Nina Horning paced the Mountaineers with 15 kills, while freshman outside hitter Macie Smith added 11 and sophomore right side Anna Barr finished with 10. Freshman middle blocker Mirjam Kask was efficient throughout the match, recording five kills on nine attempts for a .444 hitting percentage, while also adding five blocks.
Alexis Finnvold directed the WVU offense with 36 assists and led the team defensively with 11 digs. Finnvold continued to impress from the service line, connecting on three aces.
Freshman defensive specialist/libero Cassie Bruns added eight digs, while West Virginia totaled 14.0 team blocks. Senior middle blocker Maddy McGath led the Mountaineers at the net with seven blocks. McGath also matched her career high with two service aces.
The fifth set featured a back-and-forth battle, with eight ties and three lead changes. WVU held a 7-5 advantage before the reigning America East champions answered with four consecutive points to take a 9-7 lead. The Mountaineers battled back to tie the set at 13-13, but the Retrievers scored the final two points to secure the 15-13 victory and the 3-2 match win.
Sunday's contest marked the 11th all-time meeting between West Virginia and UMBC, with the Mountaineers holding a 9-2 advantage in the series.
WVU returns to action Friday, Sept. 4, taking on FAU at 1 p.m. ET at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, for the first round of the Sunshine State Classic.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Players Mentioned
RS
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH/RS
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
UMBC
WVU
Kills
54
56
Errors
23
28
Attempts
157
156
Hitting %
.197
.179
Points
80.0
78.0
Assists
52
53
Aces
10
8
Blocks
16
14
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
2
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Thursday, August 27
Saturday, October 04
Thursday, October 02
Tuesday, September 30
