WHEELING, W.Va. (Nov. 2) - Led by a trio of players in double-digit kills, the No. 18 Wheeling Jesuit University volleyball team swept Urbana 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-8) Friday night in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) contest.

The Cardinals improve to 15-0 in league play and 30-3 overall. The win marks the 12th-straight season of 30 wins or more by Wheeling Jesuit under Head Coach Christy Benner. Meanwhile, the Blue Knights fall to 21-10 overall, 10-5 in the MEC.

Sophomore Makenna Babb (Arlington, Ohio/McComb) recorded 12 kills on 24 attacks (one error) for a .458 hitting percentage and added 16 digs for a double-double. Sophomore Cassie Meyer (Jackson Center, Ohio/Jackson Center) posted a match-high 15 kills in the win, while junior Haley Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) registered 13 kills.

Junior setter Stephanie Sylvester (Oregon, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) distributed 41 assists and had four kills of her own on the night. The defensive efforts were led by sophomore Audrey Francis (Sidney, Ohio/Fairlawn), who turned in a match-high 21 digs in the win. Freshman Jenna Karl (Tiro, Ohio/Buckeye Central) also chipped in 13 digs on the defensive end.

Wheeling Jesuit opened the match with a 4-0 lead and never looked back. The Cardinals led the first set by as many as 11 (16-7), before closing out a 25-15 win. WJU hit .333 in first set with 13 kills on 33 attacks (only two errors). 

Urbana took its first and only lead of the entire night at 1-0 in the second set. The Cardinals rolled off 15 of the next 21 points to establish a 15-7 lead and force a Blue Knights timeout. Wheeling Jesuit never allowed Urbana to get within four points and finished off the Blue Knights at 25-19 for a 2-0 lead.

The third set was as dominant a set as the Cardinals have played all season. WJU registered 13-unanswered points to start the set. After Urbana rallied for three-consecutive points, Wheeling Jesuit rolled off nine-straight to strengthen its lead to 22-3, before ending the match with a 25-8 victory for the sweep.

The Cards limited Urbana to a .049 hitting percentage with 26 kills on 122 attacks and 20 errors, including three kills and eight errors in the third set. WJU finished the night with 47 kills on 116 attacks with nine errors (.328 hitting percentage).

Prior to the match, the Wheeling Jesuit volleyball team paid tribute to Andy Francis, brother of junior Audrey Francis, who tragically passed away on September 12, 2018 due to complications from a boating accident. The team dedicated the match to in his memory.

The Cardinals will conclude the regular-season tomorrow, Saturday, November 2 when they host Notre Dame (Ohio) for a MEC match at 1 p.m.