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17 vb meyer tip vs urb mec
2
Urbana UU 19-17
3
Winner Wheeling Jesuit WJU 30-5
Urbana UU
19-17
2
Final
3
Wheeling Jesuit WJU
30-5
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Urbana UU 26 16 21 25 14 (2)
Wheeling Jesuit WJU 24 25 25 23 16 (3)

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West Liberty University – Championship

11/18/2017 | 5 p.m.

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Nov. 18 (Sat) / 5 p.m.
 West Liberty University – Championship
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Game Recap: Volleyball | | Chris Myers

Cardinals Hang on in Five-Set MEC Semis Thriller over Blue Knights

MEC Postgame Press Conference
WHEELING, W.Va. – In the best match of the five-year Mountain East Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship history, the Cardinals hung on to advance. Trailing 8-4 in the fifth set, Wheeling Jesuit reversed the fortunes on Urbana to tie the set at 12-12, before it netted the final two points for the 3-2 victory.
 
Tied at 14 apiece, Cassie Meyer pounded her team-best 21st kill for a 15-14 Cardinals (30-5) lead. In another intense match point, the Blue Knights (19-17) attack fell just outside the front sideline and gave the match to the home team, 16-14.
 
Urbana started the evening by a tight 26-24 score. WJU rallied for victories in sets two (25-16) and three (25-21). The No. 5 seeded Blue Knight forced the deciding set when Kaitlyn Dunlap, who led all hitters with 22 kills, had a winner followed by a Cardinal attack error for the 25-23 win in set four.
8989
Chase Cole & Haley Kramer go for the block.

 
"Obviously, that was fun. We knew Urbana would be a tough test. They served tough, had a great game plan and they do a great job," noted WJU head coach Christy Benner. "But, I am so proud of our team to just never give up. I believed in them every bit of the way."
 
With the victory, Benner and the Cardinals secured their 11th-straight 30-win season. The team, which is now 30-5, moves on to the opportunity to play for its fifth MEC Tournament Championship on Saturday evening. The top-seeded Cardinals face the hard-charging and rival No. 6 seed West Liberty, for the title in a 5 p.m. match. The Hilltoppers posted their second upset in as many days with a 3-1 win over the Golden Eagles of Charleston in Friday's first match.

"We always try to go into each match as it is just another game. This year's team had big shoes to fill left by the players who left in the last few years. But to have the team be where it is at this time is just amazing," explained the WJU coach. "For tomorrow, West Liberty is finally healthy and we know each other wll. It will be a big battle as they are coached very well and are a disciplined team."
 
Meyer, Haley Kramer and Maddy Smyth paced the WJU frontline with a combined 59 kills, 15 blocks and 19 digs between them. Along with her 21 winners, Meyer had 15 digs. Kramer hit a team-high .548 with 19 kills and nine blocks, while Smyth had 19 kills to her credit at a .429 rate and five total blocks.
 
"Maddy, Haley and Cassie hit well for us. I can't remember the last time we had 17 team block, but we focused on blocking tonight and it paid off," said Benner.
 
Stephanie Sylvester set her season-high with 64 set assists to go with six digs, two blocks and a kill. Audrey Francis dug 28 Urbana attacks and Taylor Weickert had nine. Chase Cole was solid with five kills and an impressive 11 total blocks.
 
As a team, WJU still hit .283 on the night with 72 total kills. The home team held the Blue Knights to a .166 percentage.
 
In her final match, All-MEC Urbana hitter Dunlap registered 15 digs, two blocks and three aces to go with her match-best 22 kills.
 
 
 
-GoCards-
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Players Mentioned

Maddy Smyth

#9 Maddy Smyth

OH
6' 0"
Junior
Stephanie Sylvester

#1 Stephanie Sylvester

S
5' 9"
Freshman
Haley Kramer

#10 Haley Kramer

MB/RS
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Maddy Smyth

#9 Maddy Smyth

6' 0"
Junior
OH
Stephanie Sylvester

#1 Stephanie Sylvester

5' 9"
Freshman
S
Haley Kramer

#10 Haley Kramer

6' 0"
Freshman
MB/RS