Wheeling, W. Va. - Typically, the final game of the regular season for college teams across the country is celebrated as "Senior Day" where the four or five year players are honored for their hard work and dedication to the program. On Friday, the Cardinals will be celebrating things a little differently as they host "The Battle for Wheeling" against West Liberty with tip-off scheduled for 7 PM. The Wheeling Volleyball team has no graduating players so they will be celebrating "No Senior Day" in their final home game of the 2023 season.
Last time out, the Cardinals hit the road for the final time during the 2023 regular season as they went to South Euclid, Ohio to take on Notre Dame College. Early on, the Cardinals were unable to get things going as they fell by scores of 25-22 and 25-17 to fall behind 2-0. However, as they entered the third set, the Cardinals started to turn things around as they got out in front 4-0. They rode that momentum to a 25-20 win and followed it up with a 25-17 win in set four to force a fifth and deciding set. However, it was Notre Dame College that got out in front 9-2 and it was too much for the Cardinals to fight back as they fell 15-10 and dropped the match 3-2.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was junior Riley Kindall, who picked up another double-double effort with 17 kills and 15 digs on the night. It was her 10th double-double of the season as she continued her success on both sides of the ball. She has been a six-rotation player for the Cardinals throughout her junior year and leads the team with 347 digs and sits second with an average of 3.65 digs per set. On the offensive side, she is second on the team with 308 kills and 3.24 kills/set so far this season, while hitting .219. Kindall looks to continue her success as she and the team head towards the 2023 MEC Tournament next week.
In the middle of the net, the Cardinals have also seen their fair share of success, with junior Lindsey James stepping up due to injury. She made her second career start last Friday at Salem and set a career-high with 10 kills in the match. She followed it up with another strong effort on Tuesday night when she finished with eight kills on 16 total attacks. She has made the most of her opportunity so far and looks to continue those successes as the season goes on. The Cardinals most efficient hitter as of late would be junior Mady Winters, who hit .400 on Tuesday, going 13 kills on 25 total attacks. She enters Friday night's game with an impressive 15-game streak where she has hit .300 or better and looks to keep that streak alive against West Liberty.
With their final regular season match on Friday, the Cardinals are looking to get back on track before they head into MEC Tournament play next week. After taking just their second MEC loss of the season last time out, Wheeling looks to rebound against a team they are very familiar with on a special night. The Cardinals will be celebrating "No Senior Day" as they welcome all their athletes back for another year. Senior players on the roster like Karly Niesen, Tylah Yeomans, and Lexi Reinert all have years of eligibility left and all plan to make a return next season. The Cardinals celebrate the fact that they get to bring all their talent back on this final regular season home game.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers have a long and storied rivalry, as they meet for the 54th time in program history on Friday, with Wheeling leading the way with a record of 51-2. During that stretch, the two teams have met in Wheeling, West Virginia 28 times, with the Cardinals winning all 28 of those previous matchups. The Cardinals have won nine of the last 10 meetings between the two teams dating back to the 2020 season, including eight wins in a row.
In their first meeting of the 2023 season, the Cardinals picked up a 3-0 win on the hilltop back on October 10th. Leading the way for the Cardinals was junior Riley Kindall, who picked up a double-double with 19 kills and 11 digs on the night. Tylah Yeomans added 15 kills and 12 digs of her own on the night while Chylyn Pate led the defensive effort with a season-high 16 digs on the night.
The Details
Tip-off for Friday night's game is scheduled for 7 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
