MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Hampton University volleyball team wrapped up the second day of the Morehead State Eagle Challenge on Saturday at Wetherby Gym with a pair of hard-fought matches against the host Eagles and West Virginia.

Morehead State beat the Lady Pirates 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21), before West Virginia outlasted Hampton in five sets, 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 18-25, 25-22, 15-13).

"We played great quality volleyball (this weekend)," head coach Karen Weatherington said. "These were some of the toughest teams we will face all season, so I expected a battle. We had a slow start on Friday, but playing back-to-back on Saturday, we got better as the day went on."

Junior right side Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) totaled 45 kills, four service aces, and 36 digs in Saturday's action, once again leading the Lady Pirates' offensive assault.

She had a team-high 18 kills against Morehead State (5-4) in Hampton's first match of the day, to go along with 13 digs on defense for yet another double-double. Senior setter Bibiany Fonseca (Uberlandia, Brazil) had 29 of Hampton's 32 assists against the Eagles, and senior libero Sheileen Pagan (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico) had a team-high 15 digs.

Junior outside hitter Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) added 12 digs.

Morehead State jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first set, before the Lady Pirates went on an 8-3 run to tie the set at 8-8 after a Fonseca kill. The Lady Pirates went on to lead the first set 17-13 after a block from Strakova and senior middle blocker Petra Parros (Bloomfield, N.J.), but the Eagles went on an 8-2 run to take a 21-19 lead.

Hampton led 23-22 after a block from Kraskura and junior middle blocker Marija Kocevska (SkopjeKarpos, Macedonia), but Morehead State scored the next three points to win the set.

The second set was largely a back-and-forth affair, with Morehead State leading 16-15 before the Lady Pirates scored four straight points to go up 19-16 after a Kocevska kill. A Morehead State 5-2 spurt tied the set at 21-21, before Hampton closed the set on a 4-1 run to tie the match at 1-1.

Morehead State led the third set 6-2, but the Lady Pirates fought back, tying the score on two occasions before taking a 14-13 lead. The Eagles answered with three straight points to go up 16-14, before Hampton tied the set at 16-16.

The Eagles scored the next points to go up 20-16, taking control before ultimately taking the set 25-21 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Morehead State jumped out again to start the fourth set, going up 4-1, before later taking a 10-6 lead. The Lady Pirates closed that gap to 14-12 on a Kocevska kill, but a 5-2 Morehead State spurt gave the Eagles a 19-14 lead.

After Morehead State went up 21-15, Hampton answered with a 6-1 run, cutting the gap to 22-21, before the Eagles closed the set – and the match – with three straight points.

Hampton hit .126 (39 kills, 20 errors in 151 attacks) for the match, while Morehead State hit .168 (57 kills, 29 errors in 167 attacks). The Eagles had a 7-6 edge in service aces.

Courtney Smith led three Morehead State players in double figures in kills with 15.

Strakova recorded a season-high 27 kills against West Virginia, while Kraskura and junior outside hitter Sonja Maksimovic (Belgrade, Serbia) each added 10 kills. Strakova also had a team-high 24 digs for her fifth straight double-double – and her sixth of the season – and Kraskura also recorded a double-double with 14 digs.

Fonseca also had a double-double, with 50 assists and 10 digs. Pagan added 15 digs.

The first set was tight early, with the teams tied at 5-5 before the Lady Pirates went on a 10-3 run to take a 15-8 lead after a kill from Strakova. Strakova later added an ace to give Hampton a 20-11 lead, but the Mountaineers responded with an 11-3 run to close to within 23-22.

Hampton scored two of the last three points to take the first set.

West Virginia led the second set 10-5, then later went up 16-8 before Hampton went on a 6-2 run to cut the lead to 18-14 on a Maksimovic kill. Kocevska later added a kill to cut West Virginia's lead to 23-19, but the Mountaineers held on to take the set and tie the match at 1-1.

Hampton jumped out a 5-2 lead in the third set, before West Virginia fought back and tied the set at 9-9. The Lady Pirates responded by scoring the next six points, taking a 15-9 lead after a kill from Kraskura.

After West Virginia cut the lead to 18-16, Hampton scored the next five points to go up 23-16 on a Strakova block. From there, the Lady Pirates kept momentum through the end of the set to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

West Virginia led the fourth set 11-7, then later went up 15-10 before Hampton went on a 4-0 spurt to cut the lead to 15-14 on a Strakova kill. But that was as close as Hampton got in the set, as West Virginia squeaked by 25-22 to force the final and deciding fifth set.

Hampton led the fifth set 6-5 after a Strakova kill, but four straight points gave West Virginia a 9-6 lead. The Lady Pirates fought back to tie the set at 11-11 on another Strakova kill, but West Virginia scored three straight points to go up 14-11 and force match point.

Hampton scored the next two points, both on Strakova kills, to cut the lead to 14-13, before the mountaineers won the match on the next point.

Hampton hit .189 (61 kills, 27 errors in 180 attacks) for the match, compared to West Virginia's .153 (58 kills, 30 errors in 183 attacks). The Mountaineers held a 12-9 edge in service aces.

Jordan Anderson led West Virginia (10-0) with 17 kills.

"We showed toughness and signs of brilliant execution," Weatherington said. "We had the hard path (in the Eagle Challenge), and we left our mark on those teams. I am proud of our process."

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Friday and Saturday, competing in the New Mexico State/Texas-El-Paso Tournament. For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.