Box Score Fairmont, W. Va. – Last time the Wheeling University Volleyball team (18-5, 9-1) took the floor, they suffered their first conference loss of the season. On Tuesday, they bounced back nicely with a sweep of Fairmont State as they wrap up a long stretch of road games.
Coming into play on Tuesday, Wheeling had played six of their last eight games on the road. However, the road warriors went right to work in set one, against the team that trailed them by just one game in the Mountain East Conference (MEC). The Cardinal hitters had a .429 hitting percentage in that first set, totaling 11 kills on 21 total attacks. They took the lead early in the set, and never looked back as they downed the Falcons 25-8 to take a commanding 1-0 lead in the match. It was a confidence boost for the team but, as they learned from their match-up with West Virginia State, they would have to keep their foot on the gas.
In set two, things got a little more interesting, as things went back and forth several times throughout the set. Wheeling had the lead early, but the lead would change hands three different times in the set. The score remained tied nine times, but it was Wheeling who would persevere again with a hitting percentage of .333 in the set compared to just .187 from Fairmont State. The result was a 25-21 set two win, and Wheeling had a chance to complete the sweep and earn another game in the standings on Fairmont State. However, Fairmont continued to fight throughout the night, and Wheeling was looking to slam the door.
In the third set, Fairmont State would be the one to get the early advantage, but it wouldn't be for long. The lead changed hands eight times throughout the set as both teams fought for the advantage. However, the big difference in this match was the offense, and Wheeling's was just more efficient on the night. The Cardinals had a .293 hitting percentage in the third set, compared to a .174 percentage from Fairmont State. The advantage would lead Wheeling to a 25-21 set three win, and a sweep of Fairmont State. They bounced back from a loss last time out and got back on track as the regular season moves to November.
Wheeling's offense was led by a pair of seniors as
Kayla Bekier and
Lexi Reinert led the way with 11 kills each. However, Reinert led the way with a season-high .576 hitting percentage in the game while Bekier finished with a .476 percentage.
Karly Niesen led the way with 31 assists on the day, while the defense was helped out by several different Cardinals.
Audrey Francis led the way with 14 digs in the game and was one of three Cardinals with double-digit digs on the day.
Raegan Rosi finished the day with 10 digs while Niesen added 11 digs in the win.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team is back in action on Friday when they return home to host West Virginia Wesleyan at 7 PM.
