Tournament Central Page
PENSACOLA, Fla. – No other Atlantic Region program plays as tough of a schedule as the Cardinals. Wheeling Jesuit opens the 2018 volleyball season at the University of West Florida Tournament against four Top 15-ranked teams on Friday and Saturday.
 
WJU (33-6) heads into the season ranked in the Preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II poll at No. 24. The Cardinals will see nothing but tough tests for a team without a senior on their 16-player roster.
 
WJU opens on Friday morning, Aug. 24, against No. 5 Western Washington at 10 a.m. and it follows with a 5:30 p.m. affair against fellow Jesuit institution No. 7 Regis. On Saturday, host No. 15 West Florida takes to the court versus WJU at 12:30 p.m. The Cardinals wrap up the ranked foes lineup with the No. 2 rated Mustangs from SW Minnesota State in an 8 p.m. contest.
 
"Our first weekend of the season will prove to be massive and give us the strongest strength of schedule for any team in the country opening weekend," said WJU head coach Christy Benner. "It's a tournament we've always come to because of the competition and the hospitality.It's a great way to start the season every year."
 
The Cardinals look young on paper, but they have junior All-Americans in setter Stephanie Sylvester and middle blocker Haley Kramer to lead the charge. All-Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year Cassie Meyer and Mountain East Conference Libero of the Year Audrey Francis in the rotation as sophomores. After being out last year, the 2016 MEC Freshman of the Year Breanna Kramer adds an all-around valuable player back in the mix.
 
WJU prevailed over Western Washington twice in 2015 for the last two meetings. The Cardinals claimed a 3-0 win at the University of Tampa Tournament to open the season, before added a second 3-0 victory in the Final Four that December on the same court.
 
The Cardinals recorded a 3-0 win over Rangers of Regis in the 2016 Colorado Premier Tournament.
 
Against the host, WJU has split the last two matchups with West Florida. The Argonauts took a 3-1 win in the first match of the year last August, while the Cardinals won 3-0 in the 2016 early season matchup.
 
No. 2 SW Minnesota State captured a 3-1 victory over WJU last time at West Florida. The Cardinals last victory came in the prior meeting in 2014, 3-2, taking place in St. Paul, Minn.