Wheeling, W. Va. – After a long home stretch throughout September and October, the script is flipped for the Wheeling University Volleyball team (18-8, 9-1) to start November. The team kicks off a season-long four match road streak on Friday when they play their final Mountain East Conference (MEC) MEC South regular season contest. The team travels to Charleston to take on the Golden Eagles on Friday, with tip-off at 1 PM.
Last time out, the Cardinals began the final stretch of MEC North Play when they hit the road to face Fairmont State. While the offense fell just shy of a .300 hitting percentage on the day, it was another strong night, finishing at .280. After giving up the first point of the game, the Cardinals made a statement right from set one, taking it 25-13, with a pair of runs early that helped separate them. As the night went on, Wheeling's offense only got better, raising their hitting percentage in each of the three sets. Set two once again saw the Cardinals jump out early, and despite a Falcon's comeback effort the Cardinals one 25-16. The final set was the most competitive of the night, with Fairmont State having an advantage early, but the Cardinals closed things out in three sets, winning 25-18.
Senior Riley Kindall continued to build on her already dominant season, picking up her team-leading 12th double-double of the season. She was once again a force on offense, leading the Cardinals with 14 kill, while putting together a .270 hitting percentage on the night. Kindall put the match in her own hands in the second set, knocking down the first four kills of the set, and finished with five kills each over the final two sets. While her offense has been strong, her defense has gone to another level in 2024, as she finished with 22 digs to lead the way. It's the third time this season that Kindall has gone over the 20 dig mark, including the second time in the last three matches. Kindall continues to be a six rotation player for the Cardinals, and looks to be a leader down the stretch run.
The other Cardinal to reach a double-double was setter Karly Niesen, who finished with 40 assists and 16 digs. It was her seventh double-double of the season as she finished second on the team, while leading the Cardinals to a .280 team hitting percentage. Niesen has been a rock at setter for the Cardinals throughout her five seasons, and continues to chase down the all-time career assist record. She needs just 155 more entering the final six match stretch, and needs to average at least 26 assists/match to reach the mark. The Cardinal's most efficient hitter on the day was Samantha Comer, who finished with five kills and a .308 hitting percentage. Since making the switch from Outside Hitter to Middle Hitter against Point Park on October 4th, Comer has had eight matches hitting .300 or better and looks to continue her success.
With the Cardinals having already clinched a spot in the MEC Tournament, the battle is on for the top spot in the MEC North Division. The Cardinals currently hold a two-match lead over West Liberty, sitting at 8-1 in conference play and lead third place Fairmont State by three matches. The Cardinals control their own destiny for the MEC North title, and can clinch the top spot with any combination of three Wheeling wins or three West Liberty losses. The Cardinals are also locked in a battle with West Virginia State for MEC Tournament hosting rights, but need some help to make that come true. In order for the Cardinals to host the MEC Tournament, Wheeling would have to win each of their remaining four conference games and have West Virginia State lose at least one of their remaining matches. There is a lot still to play for down the stretch and Wheeling looks to keep their momentum going.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Golden Eagles are meeting for the 45th time in school history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 30-14. It has been a close matchup over the past three seasons, with Wheeling winning two of those three matchups. When they play at Charleston, the Cardinals hold a 10-2 record compared to a 17-3 record at home, with several playoff matches in the mix. It is a rivalry that dates back to the program's beginnings in 1992 and the two matchup in a big match with tournament implications for both sides.
Their last meeting came in the Alma Grace McDonough Center on October 27th, 2023, in a match that Wheeling would win 3-0. Former Cardinal Tylah Yeoman's led the offense with 13 kills in the match while Mady Winters added 12 kills of her own. Riley Kindall and Melia Gorrell would lead the defensive side, with 15 and 12 digs respectively, while Karly Niesen would pick up 40 assists in the match to round out the night.
The Details
Tip-off for Friday night's match is scheduled for 7 PM inside the Wehrle Innovation Center on the campus of the University of Charleston. You can watch the match live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
