Wheeling, W. Va. - The 2022-23 season is here as action starts on Thursday with two Wheeling University Athletic Teams in action. The Wheeling University Volleyball team (0-0, 0-0) starts their year out with a bang when they head down to the Spring Hill Suites Invitational in Pensacola, Florida to begin the 2022 season. They open invitational play on Thursday when they take on #5 West Florida at 7 PM in a game that will put them against one of the top teams in the country to start the season. It will be the sixth time in the last seven seasons that the Cardinals have started the year in Pensacola, Florida, with the only exception being the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
In 2021, the Cardinals found themselves back on top of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) as they won their ninth MEC Championship in program history. They also served as the host site for the 2021 NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament for the ninth time, making it to the Atlantic Regional Championship game. They finished the year 29-6 overall and 15-1 in conference play and they look to continue that success into 2022. Head Coach Christy Benner enters her 21st season at the helm of the Cardinals and, although some key pieces from last season have graduated, she has a strong mix of veterans and fresh faces that look to continue their success.
While the Cardinals did not crack the top 25 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll, they did receive votes in this year's poll. They will be tested right away with three of their first seven opponents being ranked in the preseason poll. In their upcoming tournament in Pensacola, they are set to face #5 West Florida and #8 Central Missouri in their first two games of the season. Then, when they head to the University of Tampa next week, they will get their chance against the #1 team in the country in the University of Tampa.
Benner is excited to see how her team performs against some of the top programs in the country as it will give her a gauge as to where her team is to start the season. She has been doing it for the past 21 years as it helps her team prepare for conference play.
"That's part of what we have been doing for over 21 seasons now," said Benner. "We go out and try to play the toughest teams in the country and go out and try to compete early. It helps us get to know our team a little better and see how we compete on the court so I'm looking forward to it."
In the annual MEC preseason poll, the Cardinals took the top spot in the MEC North Division, joining West Virginia State in the South as the two #1 preseason seeds. The Cardinals will have plenty of tough competition to face in the MEC this season and playing the ranked teams early in the season will help prepare them for what they will face in conference play. With three tournaments and a non-conference match leading up to conference play, the Cardinals will have plenty of time to prepare as they try and defend their 2021 championship.
Previous Matchups:
West Florida: The Cardinals and Argonauts will be meeting for the ninth time in program history, with West Florida leading the all-time series with a record of 5-3. The Cardinals will be looking for their first win against West Florida since 2019 when they defeated them 3-1. In last season's meeting, the Argonauts won 3-0 in a game where Riley Kindall led with nine kills.
Central Missouri: Wheeling and Central Missouri will be meeting for just the second time in program history, and the first time since the 2016 season. Wheeling won the first meeting between the two teams, also held in Pensacola, Florida, 3-2. Former Cardinal Katie Campbell led the way with 12 kills in that game while Lauran Graves added 11 kills.
Spring Hill College: Wheeling and Spring Hill College will be meeting for the third time in program history. The Cardinals lead the all-time series with a record of 2-0, including a 3-1 win last season. Mady Winters led the way in last year's contest with 22 kills while Aly Finch added 15 kills in the game. In total, the Cardinals had four players end in double digit kills on the day.
Lees-McCrae: Saturday will mark the second time Wheeling and Lees-McCrae have met and the first time the two teams met since the 2002 season. The Cardinals won that meeting 3-0 at Clarion University back in 2002 and look for similar success this time around.
The Details
Tip-off for Thursday's season opener is scheduled for 7 PM at the University of West Florida. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
