Box Score Louisville, KY – The grim reality of college athletics is that unless you win the National Championship, it is understood that everyone goes home not happy with their final performance of the season.  Such was the case as the Wheeling Jesuit University Volleyball program lost to the University of Tampa in three sets 15-25, 16-25, 20-25 Thursday night at the NCAA Division II Volleyball National Tournament hosted at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY.
 
Tampa out hit the Cardinals .443 to .135 in the match and possessed a large block at the net that the Cardinals could not terminate kills through.  Tampa's junior middle blocker Jessica Wagner connected on 13 of 14 attempts, while junior outside hitter Berkley Whaley added 15 kills and 11 digs.   
 
Four players for the Cardinals stood out in the match.  Sophomore middle Haley Kindall and sophomore outside/middle Emma Schleucher, both recently named AVCA All-Americans, had 10 kills apiece in the match.  Sophomore setter Andrea Thobe placed the ball well in the match and registered 32 assists.   Finally, senior Makenzie Ripley had 12 digs to add to her stellar career as a defensive specialist at Wheeling Jesuit.
 
The 2014 season adds to the storied tradition of Wheeling Jesuit Volleyball.  The Cardinals finish the season with a 38-4 overall record and a perfect 16-0 in the Mountain East Conference.  WJU has been crowned the Atlantic Region Champions for four consecutive years, marking their dominance in Volleyball in the East.  This record is a reflection of the commitment and dedication of Head Coach Christy Benner and Assistant Coach Matt Benner, who have consistently recruited great talent on and off the court and coached them to higher levels of excellence.