Wheeling, W. Va. – Entering the 2023 season finale, there was a lot on the line as the Wheeling Volleyball team (22-7, 12-2) hosted the second edition of "The Battle for Wheeling." The Cardinals needed to win just one set to clinch the Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division Championship and they did that and much more. The Cardinals were able to sweep their rivals from the Hilltop as they claimed the #1 seed from the MEC North heading into next week's MEC Championships.
All three sets of the night were competitive and that nature began right with the first set. Wheeling knocked down the first point of the night, but West Liberty would end up getting out in front thanks to a 5-2 run. A Hilltopper attack error got the ball back on Wheeling's side and they put up six consecutive points as the Cardinals took an 8-5 lead. They extended their lead to 12-8 before West Liberty go back on the board to make it a 13-10 match before another attack error got the Cardinals going again.
Riley Kindall would knock down a pair of kills during a 7-2 run as the Cardinals went ahead 20-12 late in the set. The Cardinals were able to set up set point at 24-16 when
Tylah Yeomans knocked down a kill. However, West Liberty would stay alive with back-to-back points before a service error gave Wheeling the 25-18 win.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the match and got the momentum early. The second set was just as competitive as the first set early on, with the teams trading the first 14 points of the set. A service error got the Cardinals back on track and they would score six of the next seven points as the Cardinals took a 13-8 lead. The Cardinals front line was strong throughout the night, forcing several attack errors during the run as the Cardinals built a 17-12. However, the Hilltoppers battled back and tied things up at 20-20 late in the set.
Katie Wilking and Yeomans each knocked down kills to make it a 22-20 Cardinal lead and after West Liberty tied things again, a service error made it 23-22 Cardinals. Winters would bring up set point with a kill and an attack error would earn Wheeling the 25-23 as they took a 2-0 lead in the match.
Like the first two sets of the night, the third set once again saw the two teams battle to a 7-7 tie early on. However, unlike the first two sets, it was West Liberty that took the lead at 8-7 before the Cardinals took over.
Riley Kindall tied things with a kill and the Cardinals would go on a 7-4 run as they built a 15-12 lead. However, West Liberty would keep Wheeling on their toes, tying things up at 17-17 before the Cardinals closes things out. Kindall knocked down a kill to send the Cardinals on a run and they would never give the ball back. They scored the final eight points of the match, with Yeomans knocking down four of the eight points. She rounded out the night with the final kill as Wheeling took the set 25-17 and win the match 3-0. The Cardinals needed just one set win to clinch the division title, and they did that and more as they picked up the sweep.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was
Tylah Yeomans, who finished with 14 kills on the day and a .282 hitting percentage. She bounced back after the loss on Monday, and helped lead the Cardinals throughout the day. The other Cardinal to hit double digit kills was
Riley Kindall, who finished with 12 kills, while
Mady Winters kept her .300+ hitting streak alive with a .357 hitting percentage, the 16th straight match with a .300+ hitting percentage.
Karly Niesen led the Cardinals with 35 assists and helped them to a .270 hitting percentage. On the defensive side, the Cardinals had two players tie for the team lead in digs as Kindall and
Chylyn Pate each had 10 digs on the night.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team now prepares for the 2023 MEC Tournament. They will open play in the Quarterfinal round on Thursday, November 16th when they take on Frostburg State at 2:30 PM.