Wheeling, W. Va. – After a big Homecoming and Family Weekend that was fueled by a home sweep of the weekend, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (11-6, 3-1) is jumping headfirst into the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament stretch run. They hit the road to start the final five-week stretch run as they play their first edition of the 2023 “The Battle for Wheeling” on Tuesday night against West Liberty at 7 PM. Not only is it the classic Wheeling vs. West Liberty rivalry, but it will also be a battle of the top two teams in the MEC North Division standings as they position themselves for the best possible position heading into the MEC Tournament.
Last time out, the Cardinals hosted Slippery Rock in the second half of their Homecoming & Family weekend home slate. After the two teams went back and forth throughout a majority of the first set, the Cardinals found their stride with a 4-0 run late as they took the crucial first set 25-22. After that, the offense was hitting on all cylinders, with the team putting up a .293 hitting percentage in the second set and a match high .345 hitting percentage in the third. On the other side, the hitting percentage for Slippery Rock dropped off in the final two sets, as the Cardinal’s back line locked in and limited the Rock attack opportunities. These stats would be reflected in the set scores, as Wheeling won 25-15 and 25-14 in the final two sets to earn the 3-0 sweep and pick up their 11th win of the 2023 campaign.
The key to the Cardinal’s success in the win was the work of their defense, as they held Slippery Rock to a sub-.100 hitting percentage in each of the final two sets. The back line has been a communal effort with several different Cardinals contributing. Against Slippery Rock, it was junior Chylyn Pate taking on the Libero roll and she led the way with 14 digs in the contest. It was her highest effort of the season so far and she was one of three Cardinals to finish in double digit digs on the day. Melia Gorrell and Riley Kindall finished behind her, with 11 and 10 digs respectively. Entering Tuesday night’s matchup, the Cardinals have five players with 120 digs or more and they look to continue to work together to limit the Hilltoppers’ offensive attack.
While the defense was spreading the ball around, the offense did it’s fair share as well, with three different Cardinals finishing with double digit kills. Leading the way for the Cardinals was Kindall, who finished with 14 kills, and has continued her success as a six-rotation player this season. She posted a .394 hitting percentage, marking the sixth time this season that Kindall has had a hitting percentage of .300 or better. Joining her in the double digit kill effort were teammates Mady Winters and Tylah Yeomans as the Cardinals spread the ball around. Yeomans led the group with 15 kills and Winters was the most efficient hitter at .450 in the match. Winters has been one of the most efficient swingers for the Cardinals over recent weeks, with a .450 or better hitting percentage in each of her last three matches.
As they enter the final five week stretch of the regular season, the Cardinals are looking to position themselves for the best possible run in the MEC Tournament. The Cardinals are currently tied with West Liberty for the top spot in the MEC North Division heading into Tuesday’s match. Both teams sit at 3-1 in MEC play and the winner of Tuesday night’s match will gain the upper hand down the stretch. Across the conference, Wheeling and West Liberty are two of the four teams in the conference that has one loss or fewer. West Virginia State is the lone undefeated team in the conference, with Charleston, the Cardinals, and the Hilltoppers each having one loss. Wheeling looks to keep their winning ways going throughout October as they chase down another conference title.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 53rd time in program history on Tuesday night, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 50-2. The Cardinals hold a 16-1 record in the Hilltop, and both losses in the all-time series have come on the road. The Cardinals have won the last seven meetings between the two teams, and they look to continue that win streak on Tuesday night.
In their most recent meeting, the Cardinals knocked West Liberty out of the 2022 MEC Tournament in the semifinal round with a 3-1 win. Former Cardinal Allonda Watkins and Tylah Yeomans led the way with 14 kills each, while Mady Winters added eight kills. On the defensive side, It was Karly Niesen leading the way with 13 digs while Melia Gorrell added 11 digs in the win.
The Details
Tip-off for Tuesday night’s match is scheduled for 7 PM inside the Academic Sports and Recreation Complex on the campus of West Liberty University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
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