WHEELING, W.Va. (Sept. 27) – The No. 21 Wheeling University volleyball team opened Mountain East Conference (MEC) play with a 3-0 win over West Liberty at the McDonough Center Friday evening.
 
THE RUNDOWN

• Final Score:  No. 21 Wheeling 3, West Liberty 0 (25-15, 27-25, 25-18) Box Score
• Records: Wheeling (11-3, 1-0 MEC) | West Liberty (6-8, 0-1 MEC)
• Location: Alma Grace McDonough Center – Wheeling, West Virginia

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cardinals got off to a fast start and opened up leads of 11-5 and 18-9 before cruising to a 25-15 win in the first set.
• West Liberty looked poised to take the second set and tie the match up with a 22-15 lead.
• Wheeling came storming back with seven of the next eight points to draw within one, 23-22.
• The Hilltoppers reached set point at 24-22, but the Cardinals took four of the next five points with the help of two attack errors and two kills by junior Abby Strait (Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport) to collect a 27-25 win.
• West Liberty held a narrow lead early in the third set, before Wheeling took control. The Cardinals trailed 13-12 when they went on a 13-5 run to close out the match win.

WHEELING LEADERS

• Junior Breanna Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) led the team with 17 kills and 14 digs in the win. She hit .308 on a team-high 39 attacks.
• Senior Haley Kramer (Norwalk, Ohio/Monroeville) finished with 13 kills on 22 attacks with one error (.545 hitting percentage).
• Strait posted 12 kills on 19 attacks (.579) with one error.
• Senior setter Stephanie Sylvester (Oregon, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) tossed around 45 assists on the night

MATCH NOTES

• As a team, Wheeling hit a season-best .438, including a .529-mark in the third set with 19 kills on 34 attacks with one error. The previous season-high was established in their match versus IUP on Tuesday.
• The Cardinals posted 54 digs as a team, with Breanna Kramer and junior Audrey Francis (Sidney, Ohio/Fairlawn) each posted 14. Junior Cassie Meyer (Jackson Center, Ohio/Jackson Center) finished with 13.
• West Liberty's Olivia Baumhoer led the Hilltoppers with nine kills in the loss.

UP NEXT

• Wheeling dips back into non-conference play with a rematch of the NCAA Tournament Atlantic Region Final from last year.
• The Cardinals will travel to Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, October 1 to take on Seton Hill (4-4) at 7 p.m.