Wildcats top Buccaneers 3-2 in St. George

ST. GEORGE, Utah - Wildcat volleyball took down the Charleston Southern Buccaneers this Friday afternoon in a five-set showdown.

The Wildcats and Buccaneers went neck-and-neck to start the match. It wasn't until three straight points by the 'Cats gave them the advantage at 16-14. Weber State built on that lead, with two kills made by Brielle Rueckert to increase the gap. Charleston Southern made a last-minute attempt with a 3-0 run, but it was not enough as Kaylie Ray sealed the set 25-21 with a kill.

CSU got off to a strong start in the second set with an early lead, but two Buccaneer attack errors allowed the 'Cats to tie it up 14-14. From there, Weber State took the advantage and ran with it until it was tied up again at 21-21. With the set on the line, the Wildcat defense fell short as Charleston Southern secured the win 25-22.

It was all Weber State in the third as four straight kills by the 'Cats pushed them to a nine-point lead. Keeping the momentum, WSU went on to take the set 25-12. Kaylie Ray totaled seven kills throughout the set.

The Wildcats were up 2-1 headed into the fourth set. With neither side willing to give an inch, both squads traded points through early rallies. The score stayed tight as three points made by Weber State put them up by one at 22-21. However, Charleston Southern didn't back down as they made a 5-0 run in the end to secure a 28-25 victory.

Down to the fifth and final set, the Wildcats did not back down as both teams battled to the very end. Late attack errors by the Buccaneers gave Weber State some insurance points, and a kill by Rose Moore ended the match in favor of the purple and white, 15-12, for a 3-2 match win.

Wildcat Stats

Ray led the Wildcats with 17 kills, a new single-game career high from her time at Weber State.
Rueckert recorded 13 kills, a new single-game career high from her previous 11 against Idaho State in 2023. She also finished the match with a .667 hitting percentage.
Moore was in double digits as well, and she finished with 15 kills.
Stacia Barker finished the match with eight block assists, surpassing her prior single-game high of six.

Keeping up with the 'Cats

The Wildcats will continue play at the Utah Tech Tournament with a match against UC Riverside on Saturday.
All home and Big Sky games will be streamed on ESPN+.
To stay up to date with the volleyball team, follow them @weberstatevb.
The Weber State Athletics mobile app allows fans to find results, schedules, rosters, and news quickly. Available for iPhone and Android users, search "Weber State Wildcats" and download the app today.

Next Event

Team Stats

Kaylie Ray

Rose Moore

Brielle Rueckert

Ashley Gneiting

Players Mentioned

Stacia Barker

Rose Moore

Kaylie Ray

Brielle Rueckert

Players Mentioned

Stacia Barker

Rose Moore

Kaylie Ray

Brielle Rueckert

Weber State University Athletics