Wheeling, W. Va. – Through the first two weekends of the season, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (2-6, 0-0) has battled a grueling non-conference schedule on the road. On Tuesday night, they are back inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center for the first time when they host Malone at 6 PM. Wheeling looks to get a win in front of the home crowd and build off the tough competition they have been facing.
The Cardinals competed at the Colorado Premiere Tournament this past weekend, going 1-3 across a four-match of ranked opponents. Day one would see them take on #13 Chaminade and #2 Wayne State College in a pair of three set matches. In the opener, the Cardinals nearly took the first set from the SilverSwords, battling to a win-by-two scenario, but ended up falling 3-0. As they moved on to match two, they battled #2 Wayne State College and, despite getting to the 20-point mark in two of the three sets, they were unable to pull off the win, falling 3-0. Their first win of the weekend would come in match three when the team took on #17 Central Missouri. They battled to five sets and pulled off a 3-2 win for their first win of the weekend. Their final match came against #4 UMSL and, despite taking a set from the Tritons, they fell 3-1 to round out the weekend.
Leading the way for the Cardinals throughout the weekend was senior Riley Kindall, who continued to find success on both sides of the ball. On offense, she was the Cardinal's leading attacker throughout the weekend, finishing with 50 kills on 151 total attacks for a .255 hitting percentage. Her best match came in the team's lone win of the weekend against #17 Central Missouri, where she finished with 18 kills to lead the effort and a .240 hitting percentage across the five sets. Along with her work on offense, Kindall was also a star on the defensive side of the ball, leading the team with 46 digs on the weekend. She led the way with 19 in the five-set win over Central Missouri as she recorded her second double-double of the season. For her efforts, Kindall was named to the Colorado Premiere Tournament All-Tournament team as one of 13 different players honored in the tournament.
Mady Winters also put together a strong showing for the Cardinals, leading the defensive effort in the middle of the net. Across the four matches, Winters finished with 23 total blocks and an average of 1.5 blocks per set. Against Central Missouri, she put together her best defensive effort of the weekend, finishing with 11 total blocks, four solo and seven block assists. Winters was also able to round out the weekend with her best offensive performance, putting up 14 kills against #4 UMSL. Katie Wilking would round out the weekend with a continuation of her first weekend stats, finishing with a team-high 16 kills against UMSL. As the Cardinals transition back to their home court, the team looks to use what they learned against tough competition to their advantage down the stretch.
Tuesday's home opener against Malone is the start of a long stretch of home matches for the team to round out September. They play each of their next seven matches on their home floor, including the annual Wheeling Invitational running this Thursday, September 19th through Saturday, September 21st. After taking on several out of region ranked opponents to start the year, the Cardinals now prepare to face a heavy in-region schedule that will feature some of the top teams from last season's NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Tournament. The team will also get the chance to chase history on their home floor with their next win being the 700th in the career of Head Volleyball Coach Christy Benner. The Cardinals will look to secure that Tuesday night as they prepare for a long stretch of home matches ahead.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Pioneers are meeting for the 16th time in program history on Tuesday night, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 12-3. One of those three losses for the Cardinals came at home, where they hold a 5-1 record against the Pioneers, compared to a 5-0 record away from the Alma Grace McDonough Center. It will be the first time that the teams have matched up since the 2022 season and the Cardinals are looking to keep their string of success going against the Pioneers.
Their last meeting came on October 1st, 2022, when Wheeling defeated Malone 3-0 in Canton, Ohio. Former Cardinal Allonda Watkins led the way, finishing with 17 kills on the day while Former Cardinal Tylah Yeomans added 15 kills of her own. On defense, Riley Kindall paced the Cardinal effort with 15 digs while Chylyn Pate added 12 digs to round out the day.
The Details
Tip-off for Tuesday night's match is scheduled for 6 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.
