Institute, W. Va. – On Saturday, the Wheeling University Volleyball team captured their ninth straight Mountain East Conference (MEC) Championship, defeating West Virginia State 3-1. After the competition was over, the conference announced their all-tournament team, consisting of seven players from four different teams. The Cardinals had three players make the list, the most out of any of the four teams.

First on the list is senior Audrey Francis, who was one of the top defensive players in the entire tournament. Francis began the tournament against Frostburg State with 21 digs and three assists as the Cardinals took down the Bobcats 3-0. In game two she wasn't the leader on defense, but once again hit the 20 dig mark against West Liberty, acquiring 21 digs and helping her team to a 3-1 victory over their rivals. However, big players make big plays and Francis came through when her team needed her most in the 2021 MEC Championship game. The senior had her best defensive game of the tournament, with 30 digs, and helped out on offense with 4 assists. In total, the senior picked up 72 digs across the three-game span to lead the tournament and won her fifth MEC Championship with the Cardinals.

Next on the list was senior Lexi Smith, who was one of the top attackers for Wheeling in the tournament. Smith had double-figure kills in all three games in the tournament, and finished it with 37 kills on 84 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .440 in the tournament. As the games went on, Smith continued to get stronger and stronger, even though she was never the leading attacker. In the opener against Frostburg State, she was one of two Cardinals to have double-digit attacks, picking up 10 kills and a hitting percentage of .500. In game two, she upped that number to 12 on 29 total attacks for a .379 hitting percentage. However, her best game was in the MEC Championships where she had a tournament-high 15 kills and a .405 hitting percentage. She was one of the most consistent hitters for Wheeling in the tournament and was rewarded for her effort.

Rounding out Wheeling's honorees was freshman Mady Winters, who was competing in her first MEC Tournament. She used her power to slam kills and was the leader for the Cardinals in two of those three games. Her best effort was in the first game of the tournament when she set a new career-high with 21 kills on the day and a game-high .633 hitting percentage. Winters has been one of the top attackers for Wheeling this season and continued to show that through the tournament. In game two, Wheeling had 12 kills on 39 total attacks while having a hitting percentage of .179. Winters rounded out the tournament with 17 kills on 41 total attacks, finishing right behind Kayla Bekier. Winters totaled 50 kills in the tournament and was a big reason for her team's success. These three players are cornerstones of the Wheeling team and helped them to win the MEC Championships.

The Wheeling University Volleyball team now prepares for the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament which will run from December 2^nd through December 4^th.