WHEELING, W.Va. (Sept 14) – The No. 19 Wheeling Jesuit University volleyball team claimed a 3-1 (25-14, 25-16, 23-25, 25-18) win over Shepherd in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) contest Friday night at the McDonough Center.

The Cardinals, ranked No. 19 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Top-25 poll, improve to 10-3 overall and 1-0 in the MEC. Meanwhile, the Rams drop to 0-1 in conference play, 9-3 overall.
 
Three Cardinals finished with double-digit kills, including a game-high 17 from sophomore Cassie Meyer (Jackson Center, Ohio/Jackson Center). Meyer also added 12 digs to collect her sixth kill-dig double-double of the season. Junior Breanna Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) added 15 kills and Haley Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) finished with 10 kills in the win.
 
Junior setter Stephanie Sylvester (Oregon, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) guided the offense with 46 assists, while sophomore Audrey Francis (Sidney, Ohio/Fairlawn) turned in a team-high 20 digs.
 
The Cardinals cruised in the first two sets. The team combined to go 26-of-31 on side-out chances and accounted for 30 kills and only two errors on route to a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The Rams opened up the third set with four-straight points and never trailed in their 25-23 third set win. Shepherd managed to force nine Cardinal attack errors in the third set.
 
Wheeling Jesuit got back on track in the fourth set. Shepherd got as close as two points, 13-11, but were unable to push any further. The Cardinals claimed 12 of the next 19 points to secure the win in their MEC-opener.
 
The Cardinal defense finished the night with 12 blocks, including a game-high six (one solo) from freshman Allonda Watkins (Beachwood, Ohio/Beachwood). Haley Kramer and Cassie Meyer also were credited with five and four (all assisted), respectively.
 
Wheeling Jesuit is back on the McDonough Center court tomorrow, Saturday, September 15 when it hosts Fairmont State for a MEC match at 1 p.m.