BETHANY, W.Va. - The Bethany College women's volleyball team defeated the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg (Pa.) by a final score of 3-1 in the 2026 season opener and a non-conference match on Joe Kurey Memorial Court at Hummel Fieldhouse.
Bethany (1-0) opened the season with a bang as they defeated Pitt-Greensburg (0-1) in front of a packed Hummel Fieldhouse. The Bison got off to a slow start in the first set but quickly put the Bobcats away throughout the remainder of the match to start the year in the win column.
Bethany Leaders
- Junior Academic All-PAC middle blocker Ashton Thomas (Toronto, Ohio) led the way for the Bison after finishing with seven kills, three blocks, one dig, and one assist
- Freshman outside hitter Molly Brown (Lancaster, Ohio/Fairfield Union) got the start and finished with a team-best eight digs, six kills, and a block assist in her first collegiate match
- Sophomore Academic All-PAC outside hitter Analesa Perdue (Steubenville, Ohio) had a game-high nine kills and added two digs
- Freshman setter Sophia Marshall (Caldwell, Ohio) served up a match-high four service aces while assisting a team-best 14 times in her collegiate debut
- Junior Academic All-PAC right-side hitter Shayleigh Hornyak (Brilliant, Ohio/Buckeye Local) recorded a statline of five kills, four digs, and two block assists
- Sophomore Academic All-PAC setter Grace Padavick (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) added 13 assists and collected two service aces
- Graduate middle blocker Megan Chesser (Grove City, Ohio/Bishop Ready) defended the net with three blocks including two solos while also adding three kills in her first game wearing the Green and White
- Sophomore outside hitter Isabella Poppelriter (Wellsville, Ohio) tied the team lead in digs with eight and also landed three service aces against the Bobcats
- Sophomore Academic All-PAC outside hitter Layla Smith (Lakewood, Ohio) contributed four kills and two digs for Bethany
- Sophomore Academic All-PAC libero Maddie Koprivec (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Northwest) and senior Academic All-PAC defensive specialist Avery Askew (St. Thomas, Ontario/Parkside Collegiate Institute) finished with seven digs and six digs, respectively
- Sophomore middle blocker Kenzie Headley (East Liverpool, Ohio) also made her debut as she put down one kill and two block assists
- Freshman outside hitter Mya Kochasic (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and freshman defensive specialist Annabelle Clutter (Weirton, W.Va./Steubenville) each played in their first games as Bison as well
Pitt-Greensburg Leaders
- Junior right-side hitter Abigail Smulik led the visiting offense with eight kills, 10 assists, and three aces
- Freshman libero McKenna Pore tallied 10 digs on the night to lead all players
- Sophomore setter Lilly Buckles notched 13 assists to lead the Bobcats
First Set (Bethany 25-21)
- Pitt-Greensburg led 10-9 in kills
- Bison hit .040
- Bobcats hit .154
Second Set (Bethany 25-14)
- Bethany led 8-6 in kills
- Bison hit .182
- Bobcats hit -.100
Third Set (Pitt-Greensburg 25-23)
- Both teams had eight kills
- Bison hit -.100
- Bobcats hit -.026
Fourth Set (Bethany 25-18)
- Bethany led 10-4 in kills
- Bison hit .194
- Bobcats hit -.061
The Bison are back in action on Friday, September 4 as they travel to Latrobe, Pennsylvania to compete in the 2026 Saint Vincent Bearcat Challenge hosted by Saint Vincent (Pa.) College. Bethany will take on Penn State University-Behrend at 2 p.m. and The College of Wooster (Ohio) at 8 p.m. at the Robert S. Carey Center.
