Wheeling, W. Va. – It was a big in-region matchup for the Wheeling University Volleyball team (14-8, 6-1) as they welcomed Ashland University to the Alma Grace McDonough Center on Tuesday night. It was an instant classic, with the teams battling to five sets, with the fifth set going to a lengthy win-by-two scenario. However, in the end it was Ashland who came out victorious as Wheeling fell 3-2. 

After the teams split the first four sets, it would come down to a decisive fifth set between the two regional powerhouses. Ashland knocked down the first kill of the set, but Wheeling was quick to respond as Bella DeBarr picked up a kill, continuing what had been a career day to that point. The two teams would trade the first four points of the set, before Ashland hit the first run of the set, scoring four of the next five points to take a 6-3 lead. Once the lead move to 7-4, it was Wheeling's time to respond and a service error sent them on a 5-1 run as they retook the lead at 9-8. The back and forth continued and a win-by-two scenario would be initiated as Riley Kindall knocked down a kill that tied the set at 14-14. It was just the start of the battle for a two-point advantage as both teams were on the verge of taking it. 

Wheeling would get the first advantage as an Ashland attack error set up match point at 15-14. However, Ashland had a response and Margan Ravin tied the match at 15-15 in what would be the first of three times that the score would come even. The score sat at 17-17 and Samantha Comer would smack down a kill that had Wheeling ahead 18-17. Ashland once again responded with a kill from Livi Miller and things were tied again at 18-18, but it would be the last time that the set would be tied as Ashland scored the final three points to win 20-18 and take the match 3-2. It was just the second in-region loss for the Cardinals this season as they fought hard throughout the night, but just couldn't complete the comeback. 

It was a career day on the hardwood for freshman Bella DeBarr, who finished with a team-high 15 kills on the night. It was also the first career double-double for the freshman, who finished with 23 digs and was one of three Cardinal who finished with 20+ digs on the day. She was one of four Cardinals who finished in double digit kills on the day, with Riley Kindall (14), Mady Winters (14), and Katie Wilking (12) all reaching the mark. On the defensive side of the ball, Kindall led the way for the Cardinals, finishing with 29 digs as she she finished with her 11th double-double of the season. Faith Keifer would also set a career hish with 24 digs, as the Cardinals finished with 114 team digs on the day. Karly Niesen rounded out the effort, finishing with 59 assists to lead the Cardinal offense, while finishing with 13 digs to wrap up her double-double. 

The night would start the way it ended, with an Ashland first set win, as they took a 1-0 lead with a 25-23 set one win. In set two, the Cardinals would get the first point on an attack error and, after Ashland tied things up, Wheeling went on a run. Another attack error gave Wheeling the ball and the went on a 9-2 run that opened things up in the set. Kindall and Winters each got kills on the run, while the Cardinals took advantage of several attack errors in the set. They got that lead as high as 10-4 before the Eagles started battling back in the set. They would get to within three points of the Cardinals, at 18-15, but the Cardinals scored five of the next six points as they went up 23-16. Two straight Ashland points kept them alive in the set, and Wheeling wrapped things up with a Winters kill and a DeBarr service ace as the Cardinals won 25-18. 

With the match tied at one win apiece, the Cardinals were looking to get out to another hot start in set two. The first 10 points of the set were split between the two teams, before a kill by Livi Miller gave Ashland a 6-5 lead. Wheeling would hit their first run of the set as Katie Wilking knocked down a kill that tied the game at 6-6 through 12 points. The Cardinals would go on a 6-1 run that opened the scoring to a 10-6 Cardinal lead. Ashland would continue to battle back, tying the set at 12-12 and the battle of the runs continued as the set sat tied late at 19-19. Wilking would once again open the scoring with a kill as Wheeling scored four straight points to make it 23-19. Ashland would add a point that made it 23-20, and Wilking and Comer would knock down the final two kills of the set and went on to win 25-20. Ashland would take the fourth set 25-18 and that led to the eventual fifth set that ended the night. 

The Wheeling University Volleyball team returns to action on Friday, October 25th, when they host Concord with tip-off at 7 PM.