WHEELING, W.Va. (Sept. 21) – The No. 22 Wheeling University volleyball team opened the Atlantic Region Crossover with wins over Clarion and Mercyhurst Friday at the McDonough Center.

THE RUNDOWN

• Final Score Match 1:  No. 22 Wheeling 3, Clarion 0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-22) Box Score
• Final Score Match 2:  No. 22 Wheeling 3, Mercyhurst 1 (18-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-19) Box Score
• Records: Wheeling (7-3) | Clarion (6-4) | Mercyhurst (7-3)
• Location: Alma Grace McDonough Center – Wheeling, West Virginia

HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Clarion

• The Cardinals limited the Golden Eagles to a negative-.033 hitting percentage in the first set and quickly took a 1-0 lead in the match.
• Wheeling continued to fluster the Clarion hitters and only allowed 11 kills on 40 attacks with nine errors (.050 hitting percentage) on its way to a 25-21 win in set two.
• The Cardinals dispatched of the Eagles in the third set at 25-22 behind a match-best 16 kills in the set.
• Wheeling finished the match with 14 blocks and 61 digs defensively.

TEAM LEADERS

• Senior Haley Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) matched a career-high with nine blocks to go with nine kills.
• Junior Breanna Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) also had nine kills and added five blocks and 10 digs in the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Mercyhurst

• The Lakers quieted the crowd early with an impressive 25-18 win in the first set.
• Mercyhurst was on the verge of taking a 2-0 lead when it led 24-23 in the second set.
• After an exchange of points, junior Cassie Meyer (Jackson Center, Ohio/Jackson Center) collected a kill and a service ace on consecutive points to close out a 27-25 win to tie the match at 1-1.
• The Cardinals fed off of the boisterous student-section in the next two sets to claim identical 25-19 wins to take the match 3-1.  

MATCH NOTES

• Junior Abby Strait (Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport) led the Cardinals with a career-high 15 kills to go with three blocks.
• Senior setter Stephanie Sylvester (Oregon, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) dished out 52 assists in the win.
• Junior libero Audrey Francis (Sidney, Ohio/Fairlawn) finished just shy of a career-high with 34 digs. Her career-high is 35 against Clarion in 2017.
• Breanna Kramer finished with a double-double of 12 kills and 14 digs.
• Sophomore Allonda Watkins (Beachwood, Ohio/Beachwood) established a season-high with 12 kills.

UP NEXT

• Wheeling will close out the Atlantic Region Crossover at the McDonough Center tomorrow, Saturday, September 21.
• The Cardinals will open the day with Slippery Rock at 12 p.m., and close out the event with a matchup against 2018 NCAA Tournament participant Shippensburg around 6 p.m.