Denver, Co. – Day one of the Colorado Premiere Tournament saw the Wheeling University Volleyball team (2-6, 0-0) take on back-to-back ranked opponents. On day two, it was more of the same as two more ranked opponents stood in the Cardinal's way of splitting the weekend. Wheeling would not split the weekend, but split the day, taking down #17 Central Missouri 3-2 before falling to #4 Missouri St. Louis 3-1 in match two of the night.
Game 1: Wheeling 3, #17 Central Missouri 2
The row of ranked opponents continued for the Cardinals as they drew #17 Central Missouri for their first match of day two. The Mules would come out of the gate firing, scoring the first three points of the night. Olivia Batch would break the run with her first kill of the night, and the Cardinals would go on to score six straight as they took a 6-3 lead. Wheeling would continue to hold the lead, drawing it out to 9-5 before Central Missouri got going again. They would score 10 of the next 12 points to overtake the Cardinals, taking a 15-11 lead, before Riley Kindall knocked down a kill to stop the run. However, the damage has been done as Central Missouri rode that lead to a 25-21 set one win to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Wheeling would look to bounce back in set two and did just that, scoring the first five points.
Kindall, Samantha Comer, and Mady Winters all registered kills during the run and Wheeling was off and running on a 5-1 advantage. The Cardinals would continue to push on offense, extending their lead to 12-6 before hitting another run. This time, it was a pair of Mule attack errors that got things started and Karly Niesen ended the 3-0 run with a service ace to make it a 15-6 Wheeling advantage. Central Missouri would slowly but surely fight their way back into the match, getting within five points at 23-18. A kill by Cami Black would set up set point at 24-18, before back-to-back Mule points kept the set alive. Kindall would smack down the final kill of the night and Wheeling would win the set 25-20 and tie the match at 1-1. Central Missouri came back to take set three 25-15 and the Cardinals were on the ropes down 2-1 heading into set four.
The fourth set was the closest of the day between the two teams, with no team holding a lead of more than three points for the duration of the set. Wheeling held the advantage late in the set at 22-20 before a Miles service error opened the door. A block assists by Mady Winters and Lindsay James would bring up set point and a Kindall kill would give Wheeling a 25-20 set win and tied the match at 2-2. In the deciding fifth set, it was Central Missouri with the early lead as they led 4-3 after seven points. The back and forth continued and the lead changed hands several times until the Cardinals led 8-7. A service error would send Wheeling on a 7-2 run that would end the night and give Wheeling their first win over a ranked opponent this season.
Leading the way for the Cardinals for the third match in a row was Riley Kindall, who finished with 18 kills and a .240 hitting percentage. Kindall picked up her first double-double of the weekend, leading the defensive effort with 19 digs on the back line as she led the Cardinals to victory. Cami Black also had a big day, setting a career-high with 13 kills while picking up her first career double-double with 11 digs. Karly Niesen would finish with 41 assists on the day for the Cardinals while Lindsey James was the most efficient hitter, putting up a .364 hitting percentage on 11 total attacks. Behind Kindall, Giana Mutersbaugh would finish with 16 digs on the day and was one of five Cardinals to pick up double-digit digs. Niesen (15) and Chylyn Pate (13) also picked up double digit digs on the day. The Cardinals headed into match two looking for a sweep of the day and a split of day two of the Colorado Premiere Tournament.
Game Two: #4 Missouri St. Louis 3, Wheeling 1
Looking for a split of the day, the Cardinals would have a tough match in game two, going up against #4 Missouri St. Louis. The Tritons came out strong in set one, scoring the first four points of the set before a Mady Winters kill put things to a halt. UMSL would extend their lead to 5-1 before Wheeling went on a 3-0 run, begun by a kill from Lindsey James, and the Cardinals made it a one-point set. Wheeling would keep close throughout the set, staying within three points of the tritons until the score sat at 15-13 in favor of UMSL late in the set. The battle of runs continued late into the set and UMSL would hold a 23-19 lead. Wheeling would make a late push, with a Karly Niesen kill and an attack error that made it 23-21. However, back-to-back Triton kills would end the set as UMSL picked up a 25-21 set win and led 1-0 in the match.
In set two, the Tritons once again got out to an early lead, scoring four of the first five points to take a 4-1 lead. Like the first set, Wheeling would again battle back, making it a 7-5 UMSL lead early. Riley Kindall would then slap down a kill, kicking off a 7-2 Cardinal run that gave them their first lead of the match at 12-8. Katie Wilking accounted for three of the seven points on the run as the Cardinals began to battle. The Cardinals would be staked to a 17-14 lead before hitting the run that eventually sealed the set. Wilking would knock down her fourth kill of the set, beginning a 6-1 run that had the Cardinals in front 23-15. UMSL would score the next two points, but a Cami Black kill brought up set point at 24-17. An attack error from the Tritons would finish the set and Wheeling was able to tie things up at 1-1.
With newfound life, the Cardinals were trying to make a push, but UMSL would score nine of the first 11 points to take a 9-2 lead in set three. Wheeling would battle through the rest of the set, but it was too much for the Cardinals to overcome as they dropped the set 25-17 and fell behind 2-1 in the match. Set four took the opposite tone, with Winters leading the Cardinals with three kills as part of a 4-1 run that game them the lead. They would extend that lead to 7-3, but a Triton run would get them back in front at 9-8. Wilking would tie the et at 9-9, but an 8-2 UMSL run would break the set open. The Cardinals got back within five points, but UMSL set up set point at 24-19. The Cardinals would not go down without a fight, with a bad set and an attack error keeping them alive. However, Brooklyn Young would end things with a kill as UMSL walked away with the 3-1 win and ended the Cardinal's weekend at 1-3.
It was another big night for sophomore Katie Wilking, who paced the Cardinals with 16 kills, falling just two short of her career high from last weekend. She was efficient throughout the match, finishing with a .667 hitting percentage on 24 total attacks as she continues to grow into a weapon for the Cardinals. Mady Winters was right behind her, finishing with 14 kills and a team-high five blocks in the game. Karly Niesen went over the 40 assist mark for the second straight match, finishing with 43, while Riley Kindall led the Cardinal's defensive effort with 16 digs. Cami Black also set a career high, picking up 15 digs in the effort to round out the defense.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team is back home this week when they take on Malone on Tuesday, September 17th, with tip-off at 6 PM.
