Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Volleyball team (12-6, 4-1) continues their stretch of homecoming cooking during the month of October with a Mountain East Conference (MEC) weekend of action. The Cardinals kick things off on Friday when they host West Virginia Wesleyan and wrap up the weekend on Saturday when they host Davis & Elkins. It is also a special weekend for the team as they are holding a Fundraising event to help raise awareness for Chromosome 18 all weekend long.

Last time out, it was a special rivalry matchup for the Cardinals as they traveled to the Hilltop to take on West Liberty. It was a battle of the top two teams in the MEC North Division and the Cardinals were looking to lay claim to the top spot for the first time this season. The first set of the night was full of back and forth action, with the teams sitting deadlocked at 16-16 in the late going of the set. However, the Cardinals were able to win the battle 25-21 and took a 1-0 lead in the match. The Cardinals used that momentum to propel them through the rest of the night, picking up wins of 25-12 and 25-21 in the two subsequent sets to pick up a 3-0 victory. After a rough start to conference play in the opener, the Cardinals have gotten back on track and are hitting the stretch run with momentum on their side.

One of the keys to the Cardinal's success this season has been the efficiency of their offense, led by senior Setter Karly Niesen. Niesen is the defending MEC Offensive Player of the Week and helped lead Wheeling to an impressive .358 hitting percentage against the Hilltoppers. It was the third .300+ hitting percentage match for the Cardinals this season, and their second highest hitting percentage as a team. Niesen finished the night with 43 assists and has had 40 or more assists in 13 of their 18 matches this season. She also did a nice job of spreading the ball around, as six different Cardinals finished with atleast two kills in the match. Riley Kindall was the big swinger for the Cardinals, knocking down 19 kills while Tylah Yeomans added 15 kills in the win.

While the offense has been swinging, the defense has done their job as well, limiting the opposition. Junior Chylyn Pate has been leading the way over the last couple matches and once again had a big night. She has been switching in and out of the Libero role this season and, against the Hilltoppers did her job as the right side of the back line. She finished with a team high 16 digs and was one of four Cardinals to produce double digit kills on the night. Pate has picked up double digit digs in each of her last three matches, totaling 44 digs over the last three matches. Melia Gorrell, who got the start at Libero for the Cardinals, also had a big day as she and Yeomans each added 12 digs to the effort. The Cardinals look to continue their strong defensive play as they head into an MEC South weekend.

These two matches are special to the Cardinals as they will be holding a Fundraiser for Chromosome 18 Awareness. Throughout the weekend, the Cardinals will be raffling off a Cardinal Apparel Basket. All proceeds and donations will go towards the Chromosome 18 Foundation, which serves to help the over 6,000 families across the world who either are dealing with or caring for someone who has this disorder. Wheeling Volleyball sophomore Melia Gorrell's brother has Chromosome 18 disorder and will be in attendance for the matches. You can either give a donation through the purchase of a raffle ticket, by donating directly inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center, or by visiting Chromosome 18's website by clicking HERE.

The Matchups

West Virginia Wesleyan: The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 32nd time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 27-4. On their home court, the Cardinals own a 13-1 record against the Bobcats and their last loss to the team came back during the 1998 season. It has been a historic rivalry between the two teams and the Cardinals look to continue their winning ways at home. Last season, the Cardinals took down West Virginia Wesleyan on the road 3-0. Mady Winters led the way with 13 kills on the night while Riley Kindall led the defense with eight digs.

Davis & Elkins: The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 19th time in program history, with the Cardinals going 18-0 over the first 18 meetings. It will be the 10th meeting between the two teams in Wheeling, with the other eight contests coming in Elkins, West Virginia. Wheeling has won every set they have ever played against the Senators and look to continue that roll on Saturday. In their last meeting, Wheeling secured a 3-0 win as they went on the road to Elkins, West Virginia. Tylah Yeomans and Riley Kindall led the offense with 10 kills each while Jordan West added six digs.

The Details

Tip-off for the weekend opener against West Virginia Wesleyan will be on Friday, October 13th, ar7 PM. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.