Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Volleyball team (11-4, 2-0) is out to a hot start in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play and looks to keep things going on Tuesday when they head to Philippi, West Virginia, to face Alderson Broaddus at 7 PM. Coming off of back-to-back wins to start their conference schedule, the ladies are looking to keep the momentum on their side as they begin their journey through conference play.
Last time out, they traveled to Frostburg, Maryland, and took care of business at Frostburg State with a 3-0 win over the Bobcats. After a competitive first set that saw Wheeling take a 26-24 victory, the Cardinals defense kicked in. They didn't allow the Bobcats to score more than 18 points in either of the final two sets in the game on their way to the 3-0 win. The win moved Wheeling to 2-0 in conference play this season as they start out towards the top of the MEC Nort Division.
Against Frostburg State, Senior Lexi Reinert had a big day, leading the offense with 12 kills on 24 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .375 on the day. She was the only Cardinal hitter that finished with double-digit kills, and freshman Mady Winters followed her with eight kills on the day. Sophomore Karly Niesen set the ball well throughout the evening, finishing with 33 assists and just one setting error on the evening.
On the defensive side of the ball, Audrey Francis was back at it again and led the team with 35 digs in the contest. It was the fifth time this season that Francis has finished with 30 or more digs in a game, and it was just two shy of her season-best. Fellow senior Jenna Franks also had a strong side on the defensive end of things, finishing with 15 digs, and was the only other Cardinal that finished with double-digit digs on the day.
With the win, Wheeling moves to 2-0 to start their conference play, and find themselves on top of the MEC North Division standings. After facing some tough competition to start the year, Wheeling finds themselves at 11-4 entering play on Tuesday and are looking to continue to keep the momentum on their side. They have played two of their last three games away from the Alma Grace McDonough Center and are on a stretch where five of their next seven games come on the road. It is a chance for them to test their toughness as they try and win away from home.
The Match-up
Since the 2002 season, The Cardinals and Battlers have faced off 21 times, with Wheeling winning all 21 of those games. Their last match came on March 2nd, 2021, where Wheeling won the game 3-1. The two teams traded the first two sets of that game before Wheeling came back, winning the third and fourth sets on their way to the 3-1 win.
Kayla Bekier was the offensive leader in that game, racking up 21 kills on 50 total attacks in the win for the Cardinals. She was one of three Cardinals hitters to finish the night with double-digit kills, with both Lexi Smith and Lexi Reinert finishing with 14 and 10 kills respectively. It was a big win for the Cardinals, and they are hoping for a similar result this time around.
The Details
Tip-off for Tuesday night's game is scheduled for 7 PM on the campus of Alderson Broaddus. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats HERE.
