Wheeling, W. Va. – After a big win in the home opener on Tuesday night, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (3-6, 0-0) prepares to host the annual Wheeling Invitational. With six teams set to play eight matches across three days, fans will have plenty of Volleyball action to follow. The tournament kicks off on Thursday night when the Cardinals welcome in Gannon with tip-off at 7 PM, marking the first of four matches for the team in three days.
It was a historic night for the Wheeling University Volleyball team on Tuesday as they swept Malone 3-0. The win marked the 700th career win for Head Coach Christy Benner in front of a packed crowd inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. As a team, the Cardinals put together a .313 hitting percentage on the night, with their best performance coming in the first set, where they had 18 kills on 30 total attacks for a .500 hitting percentage. It was a night of runs for the Cardinals, with each of the three sets beginning with a run of 5-1 or greater. When it came down to the final set, the Cardinals had a 22-14 lead late and made sure the game ended their. A service error by the Pioneers got the ball back into the Cardinal's hands and they picked up the final two kills of the set to secure the 3-0 win and the milestone moment for their head coach.
It was a game in which everyone who was dressed got in on the action, with 21 different Cardinals making an appearance and 14 of those players picked up at least one kill. Leading the charge was freshman Olivia Batch, who picked up six kills on 10 total attacks to produce a .500 hitting percentage. Batch has been a key contributor for the Cardinals this season, knocking down 31 kills while averaging 1.55 kills/set over her first nine matches. She set her career high with eight kills against Southwest Minnesota State, and added six kills on two different occasions, including last night's 3-0 victory. She set a new career high with her .500 hitting percentage against the Pioneers and looks to continue to grow as a hitter as the season goes on.
As the weekend goes on, two different players are approaching milestone moments as they head into the weekend. Senior Mady Winters is the closest to the milestone, sitting 40 kills away from the 1,000 career kills mark. Along with her work on offense, Winters has been strong on the defensive end as well, leading the team with 43.0 total blocks. She was named the MEC's Defensive Player of the Week during the opening week of the season and will look to continue that success. The other Cardinal reaching the 1,000 career kill milestone is Riley Kindall, who sits 63 kills away from the mark. She reached the 1,000 career digs mark in the first match of the season and looks to add another tally to her ledger this weekend.
The MEC/PSAC crossover will be held in conjunction between Wheeling and West Liberty University, with eight matches being played at both sites across the three-day event. The Wheeling Invitational will kick-off on Thursday night with Wheeling taking on Gannon and will continue with three games on Friday and four games on Saturday. Wheeling will play host to Fairmont State, Gannon, Shippensburg, and Clarion University while West Liberty will feature the four PSAC teams as well as West Liberty and West Virginia State. For the Cardinals, it will be the first time the Cardinals have seen their PSAC in-region opponents and they look to continue their momentum from Tuesday night against in-region opponents.
The Matchups
Gannon: The Cardinals and Golden Knights are meeting for the 13th time in program history, with the all-time series tied up at six wins apiece. The Cardinals hold the advantage against Gannon on their home floor, going 4-3 in seven matches while sitting 0-1 on trips to Gannon. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 2021 season in the NCAA DII Atlantic Region Championship match as the Cardinals try to break a three-game losing streak against the Golden Knights. That last meeting came on December 4th, 2021, when Wheeling fell to Gannon 3-0. Former Cardinal Allonda Watkins led the offense with seven kills and former Cardinal Audrey Francis led the defense with 20 digs.
Shippensburg: The Cardinals and Raiders are meeting for the 18th time in program history on Friday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 15-2. The Cardinals have won four of the past five meetings between the two teams, including each of the past two matchups in 2022 and 2023. Wheeling sits 10-2 all-time on their home floor and 3-0 in away matches against the Raiders. Their last meeting came on September 15th, 2023, when the Cardinals beat Shippensburg 3-1. Riley Kindall led the offense in that game with 17 kills and Giana Mutersbaugh led the defense with 23 digs on the night.
Slippery Rock: Wheeling and Slippery Rock are meeting for the 20th time in program history, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series at 18-1. Wheeling is 13-0 in the all-time series on their home floor and 2-0 in road matches. The Cardinals have not lost a set to the Rock since 2011 and will be looking to continue their success. Their last meeting came on October 7th, 2023, when Wheeling defeated Slippery Rock 3-0. Leading the way for Wheeling was former Cardinal Tylah Yeomans with 15 kills while Chylyn Pate added 14 digs on the day.
Clarion: The Cardinals and Golden Eagles are meeting for the 24th time in program history on Saturday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 19-4. The Cardinals are 13-1 in 14 home matches in the all-time series and 5-0 in matches at Clarion. It has been a tightly contested series as of late, with the two teams splitting each of their past four matches. Their last meeting came on September 16th, 2023, when the Cardinals beat Clarion 3-0. Wheeling was led by Riley Kindall, who registered 23 kills, and Giana Mutersbaugh, who registered 12 digs on the day.
The Details
The 2024 Wheeling Invitational kicks off on Thursday, September 19th, when Wheeling Volleyball hosts Gannon with tip-off at 7 PM. You can watch the match live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
