The West Virginia Wesleyan volleyball team made a resounding statement in their first home matches of the 2025 season, going 2–1 across two days of tournament play at the Rockefeller Center and securing second place overall. The Bobcats defeated Virginia Union and Lock Haven in straight sets, while narrowly falling in a five-set thriller to Belmont Abbey—the eventual tournament champions.
 
Three Wesleyan standouts—MacKenna Halfin, Bhrooke Axe, and Emily Denison—earned All-Tournament Team honors for their stellar performances across the weekend
 
GAME 1: Wesleyan 3, Virginia Union 0
Set Scores: 25–16, 25–16, 25–12


The Bobcats opened their home tournament with a dominant sweep of Virginia Union, fueled by a fast-paced offense and relentless defense.

• Bhrooke Axe posted a match-high 14 kills on a scorching .545 hitting percentage, while adding 4 blocks and 17.0 points.
• Emily Denison added 11 kills (.389) and 10 digs for a strong two-way performance.
• Claire Wheeler directed the offense with 23 assists and added 4 aces.
• As a team, Wesleyan hit .257 and out-dug the Panthers 54–46

 
GAME 2: Belmont Abbey 3, Wesleyan 2
Set Scores: 18–25, 25–20, 25–22, 13–25, 16–14


In the nightcap of Day 1, Wesleyan battled hard in a five-set heartbreaker against eventual champion Belmont Abbey, who eked out a 16–14 win in the final set.

• Bhrooke Axe was sensational again, racking up 21 kills (.419) and 22.5 points.
• MacKenna Halfin also shined with 19 kills (.415), anchoring the Bobcat front line.
• Emily Denison contributed 13 kills, 13 digs, and 2 service aces, while Wheeler dished out 28 assists and Lacey Gutherie added 24 assists.
• Wesleyan hit .246 as a team and won Set 4 with a staggering .484 hitting clip

 
GAME 3: Wesleyan 3, Lock Haven 0
Set Scores: 25–22, 26–24, 25–15


The Bobcats bounced back in the third and final match of the tournament, sweeping Lock Haven to finish strong.

• Bhrooke Axe remained unstoppable, registering 13 kills on a perfect .542 hitting percentage.
• Halfin added 10 kills (.381), while Denison and Carleton chipped in with 9 and 5 kills, respectively.
• Moeschler added 2 aces and 12 digs, and Gutherie continued her service streak with 3 aces.
• Wesleyan hit .271 as a team and limited Lock Haven to .154, sealing the sweep with a dominant third set

 
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS – WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN
🏅 #33 MacKenna Halfin – Consistent force at the net with 36 kills across three matches and excellent offensive efficiency
🏅 #27 Bhrooke Axe – Tournament leader in kills (48 total), hitting well over .500 in two matches
🏅 #18 Emily Denison – Balanced two-way play with double-digit kills and digs in multiple games
 
TOURNAMENT FINAL STANDINGS:

Rank	Team	Record
1️⃣	Belmont Abbey	3–0
2️⃣	West Virginia Wesleyan	2–1
3️⃣	Lock Haven	1–2
4️⃣	Virginia Union	0–3

 
 
The Bobcats (4-3) head on the road to its third tournament of the young season at Concord College, beginning Friday, Sept. 19 with the first of four matches against Kentucky State University.