WHEELING, W.Va. (Dec. 5) – The host and top-seeded Wheeling University volleyball team moved on to the Atlantic Region Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament with a 3-0 win over Fayetteville State Thursday night inside the McDonough Center.
The Cardinals will take on No. 5 seed Millersville in a semifinal match at 7:30 p.m. on the McDonough Center floor. The Marauders scored a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 4 Shippensburg to advance earlier in the day.
THE RUNDOWN
- Final Score: Wheeling 3, Fayetteville State 0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-13)
- Records: Wheeling (32-3) | Fayetteville State (19-7)
- Location: McDonough Center – Wheeling, West Virginia
TEAM LEADERS
- Senior Haley Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) and junior Breanna Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) each posted 11 kills to lead the team.
- Breanna hit .391 on 23 attacks with 11 digs, while Haley finished with a .667 hitting percentage and three solo blocks.
- Senior Stephanie Sylvester (Oregon, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) dished out 33 assists and added a pair of kills in the win.
- Junior Cassie Meyer (Jackson Center, Ohio/Jackson Center) posted a balanced line with seven kills and nine digs with four assists.
- Junior Audrey Francis (Sidney, Ohio/Fairlawn) paced the defense with 12 digs
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Fayetteville State came out aggressive in the first set and held a 15-14 lead to silence the boisterous Wheeling crowd.
- The Cardinals got back on track and pulled out to a 22-19 lead on a Sylvester ace, before kills by Breanna Kramer and Meyer clinched the set at 25-20.
- Wheeling flexed its muscles in the next two sets and kept their distance from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Champion Broncos.
- Wheeling won each of the final two sets by double-digits to close out the night and advance with a three-set win.
QUOTEABLES
- "It's kind of hard sitting around for the last game. They did a really good job of coming out and it took us awhile to settle down and get the flow of the game. We were fortunate to win that first set and not look back." - Head Coach Christy Benner on the team's first set.
- "We've relied on (the Kramer twins) so much over the years, especially this year. They are great leaders, great kids, and great players. We know offensively they can get it done. It's been so much fun having the two of them for four years. I don't want it to end. I want it to keep going." - Head Coach Christy Benner on twin-sisters Haley and Breanna Kramer.
UP NEXT
- Wheeling will take on Millersville for a spot in the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship Game tomorrow, December 6 at 7:30 p.m.
- No. 2 seed Gannon will face No. 6 seed Shepherd in the other semifinal match at 5 p.m.
