Wheeling, W. Va. - With the Wheeling University Football team back on campus, Wheeling University is once again buzzing with activity as preparations begin for the 2023-24 athletic season. On Saturday, things will start to get a little bit busier as we prepare to welcome back six more of our Fall Athletic Teams on Saturday, August 12th. Volleyball, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Rugby, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, and Men's Golf will all make their way back to campus as they begin their respective Fall training camps.
With the seven teams reporting on Saturday, eight of the nine Fall sports programs will be on campus with just 20 days remaining before the start of the 2023-24 season. Six of the seven returning programs are coming off playoff seasons, with three MEC Tournament appearances, two regional and national tournament runs, and one MEC Champion among them. With more and more athletes on campus, the anticipation for the season continues to grow as each team looks to make a return trip to their respective playoffs in their respective sports.
Leading the way among the returning teams is Wheeling Volleyball, who brought home the lone MEC Championship of the 2022-23 season for Wheeling University. It was their 10th consecutive MEC title, winning every championship since the conference formed in 2013, and they once again found themselves on the regional stage at the 2022 NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championship. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were kicked out in the semifinal round via a 3-1 loss at the hands of #2 seeded Clarion. As they get back to camp this week, Head Coach Christy Benner emphasized the fact that they want to get back to the regional stage and avenge last season's loss.
"Well, I think we had a lot of ups and downs last year, and we ended on some positive notes by winning the conference championship and going to the NCAA Tournament again," said Benner. "However, we missed the finals and I think that will be the steppingstone for us this year. I think we have a lot to prove and a lot to achieve this year for our shortcomings last year."
The other team ready to make their return after a pair of runs on the national stage is the Wheeling University Rugby team. Since Mike Geibel became Head Coach in 2019, the program has grown and had their best season in 2022-23. After a slow start to 15's season, the team was able to make the Big Rivers Rugby Conference (BRRC) Wild Card game before earning their first trip to the NCR 15's Playoffs. After being eliminated in the quarterfinals, the team came back out in the spring and won every Division I 7's tournament they participated in, going 21-2 to earn the #1 seed in the Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) 7's. After wins in the first two rounds, the Cardinals were bounced in the quarterfinal round once again by eventual National Champion Mt. Saint Mary's. As they enter 2023-24 Geibel looks to use this year's Fall Camp to get his team back to that high level of play.
"We know coming in that we only have four weeks until the first match, so we want to hit the ground running and get everyone on the same page and get everyone up to that high level that we want them at," said Geibel. "Our first match is against Queens which is always a tough match. They come from the Rugby East which is one of the strongest conferences in college rugby, so we know we have to hit the ground fast and get to work right away to try to beat them in their first match."
The other two MEC Tournament teams from 2022-23 that will make their way to campus are the Men's and Women's Soccer programs. Each group had their best seasons in recent history, and both are looking to take it a step further. On the women's side, the Cardinals made the MEC Tournament for the first time in program history, clinching the sport with a 3-2 win over rival West Liberty. However, they were taken out in the first round by #1 seeded Frostburg State and are looking to not only get back to the tournament, but advance deeper into the field. On the men's side, they were back in the tournament for the first time since the 2018 season and added on by picking up a first-round win at home against West Virginia Wesleyan 1-0. They were just one game away from the MEC Championship game but, like the women, would fall to the eventual MEC Champions. Both coaches have higher expectations this year and are looking to take that next step.
"With the good crop of guys returning, they are obviously hungry to improve on last year's record," said Head Men's Soccer Coach Brandon Regan. "The goal is to finish in the top four, and obviously we would like to finish higher than that if possible, and the aim is to be back in the mix."
The next two teams making their way to campus will be the Men's and Women's Cross-Country teams, who each have high hopes for 2023. On the Men's side, the roster continues to gain experience with Izaiha Browning and Hunter Tomich each leading the charge. On the women's side, they lost their two top runners from the 2022 season but bring back a strong returning class including Gabby Baiano and Sydney Hambel each entering their sophomore seasons. Both teams will head to Lantz Farm for the start of their camp as they do different team bonding activities as they prepare for the season.
Rounding out the reporting teams on Saturday will be the Men's Golf team, which is taking on a whole new look in 2023-24. Head Coach Rich Conwell has brought in a recruiting class of eight freshman for the upcoming season, nearly doubling his roster size from a season ago. Along with the new faces, returners Nick Zaller, Alex Parker, and Ethan Short are all returning, with Zaller leading the group after averaging in the low 80's throughout the 2022-23 season. The Cardinals have been rebuilding each of the last two seasons and are now looking to establish themselves in the competitive MEC field.
Like Football's report day, all seven teams will begin reporting on Saturday, August 12th, at 8 AM, going through the different protocols to prepare them for practice. All eight teams on campus will hit the ground running on Monday as they prepare for the start of the 2023-24 season on August 31st.
