Wheeling, W. Va. - With the regular season coming to an end, the Wheeling University Volleyball team is looking to get in sink over the final two and a half weeks. They hit the road this weekend for a pair of Mountain East Conference (MEC) matches when they take on West Virginia Wesleyan on Friday, October 21st, and follow it up facing Davis & Elkins on Saturday, October 22nd. It will be the final crossover contest of the season for Wheeling as they look to continue their winning ways.
Last time out, the Cardinals battled Fairmont State in a battle of the top two teams in the MEC North Division. It was a battle throughout the night, but the Cardinals were able to walk away with the 3-0 victory. The Cardinals were strong in set one, winning 25-14, and came back to take set two 25-20. In set three, Fairmont State tried to stay alive, but a big run early got Wheeling out to a 13-4 lead and they never looked back, winning 25-16. The Cardinals offense was strong throughout the day, hitting .298 in the match, as they picked up their ninth conference win of the season.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was a strong showing by Redshirt Senior Allonda Watkins, who finished with a team-high 14 kills. All season, Watkins has been on a mission to reach the 1,000-career kill mark. With seven games remaining on the regular season schedule, Watkins sits 176 kills away from the mark. She is currently second on the team with 254 kills this season, but holds the team lead with a .377 hitting percentage. Her and the rest of the Cardinals front line are going to be key to Wheeling's success as they try to clinch a spot in the 2022 MEC tournament and possibly a chance to host the event on their home court.
It was also a big game for Wheeling setter Karly Niesen, who finished the day with 37 assists to lead the team. She helped lead Wheeling to their highest single-match hitting percentage of the season, with strong sets throughout the night. She currently leads the MEC with 11.70 assists per set and sits second with 924 assists. The Cardinals also got a spark on defense in set three when they brought Melia Gorrell in as Libero. She ended up making four digs in that third set and helped the backline as they denied the Falcons hitters.
As the Cardinals enter the final two and a half weeks of the season, a playoff spot will be on the line on Friday night. The Cardinals can become the first team in the MEC North to Clinch a playoff spot with a win on Friday night over West Virginia Wesleyan or a Frostburg State loss to West Virginia State. Then, the Cardinals can use the final two weeks of the regular season to battle for the chance to host the 2022 MEC Tournament. With a lot still to figure out, the Cardinals are looking to collect as many wins as they can along the way,
The Matchups
West Virginia Wesleyan: The Cardinals and Bobcats will be meeting for the 25th time in program history on Friday, with Wheeling winning each of the first 25 games. This will be just their tenth meeting in Buckhannon, West Virginia and their first since the 2019 season. Last year, the Cardinals took down West Virginia Wesleyan 3-0. Lexi Reinert led the way with seven kills in the game while Mady Winters and Raegan Rosi each also picked up seven kills in the match.
Davis & Elkins: The Cardinals and Senators will be facing off for the 18th time in program history, with the Senators winning each of the first 17 matches. The Cardinals make the trip down to Elkins, West Virginia for the first time since the 2019 season, and the Cardinals are 7-0 on the road. In their last meeting, the Cardinals picked up a 3-0 win inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Former Cardinal Kayla Bekier led the way with 14 kills while former Cardinal Audrey Francis led the way with 19 digs in the match.
The Details
Tip-off for Friday night's weekend opener is scheduled for 7 PM inside the Rockefeller Center on the Campus of West Virginia Wesleyan. You can watch the match live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
