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.
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.
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 Smardova.
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.
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.
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.
The match marked the first meeting between West Virginia and UTRGV in program history.
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.
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.
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 Smardova.
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.
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.
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.
The match marked the first meeting between West Virginia and UTRGV in program history.
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
