Wheeling, W. Va. - After taking a break from Mountain East Conference (MEC) play over the weekend, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (8-9, 4-0) heads back to their conference schedule to close out October. They finish up their first round of MEC North play on Tuesday night when they head to the Hilltop to face West Liberty with tip-off at 7 PM. The Cardinals look to keep their winning ways going in MEC play as they begin the run towards the 2025 MEC Tournament.
Last time out, the Cardinals wrapped up their non-conference weekend when they battled Ohio Dominican University on the road. The Cardinals would come out strong, hitting .375 in the first set, knocking down 16 kills on 40 total attacks on their way to the 27-25 set one win. However, as the match went on, Ohio Dominican's difference came in the server's box, with the Panthers picking up nine service aces on the night. Wheeling would keep it close throughout the second set, falling 25-23 before dropping the third set 25-17 to fall behind 2-1 in the match. The fourth set saw Ohio Dominican to jump out to a 7-1 advantage early, but the Cardinals would battle to stay alive. It came down to the final points of the day, with Wheeling getting as close as 24-23, but in the end Ohio Dominican would get the 25-23 set four win, to take the match 3-1.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Bella DeBarr, who would pick up her second double-double of the season in the effort. She would set a new career high on the offensive attack, finishing with 15 kills on 37 total attacks for a .216 hitting percentage on the night. She would keep the Cardinals in the match throughout the four sets, knocking down four kills in the final set of the day. She continued her success on the defensive end as well, finishing with a career best 17 digs to round out the day. It was her second double-double in the last four matches as she has stepped up for the Cardinals due to injury this season. She has hit double-digit kills in three of the last four matches as she continues to roll down the stretch.
The Cardinals have also seen the return of Lexi Duplessis, who set a career-high with 41 assists in the effort. It was the first time in her career that she has eclipsed the 30 assist mark this season, as she helped the Cardinals to a .225 hitting percentage in the match. Duplessis is one of two main setters for the Cardinals this season and has taken advantage of her opportunity on the court. On the back line, Kendall Kupper continued her success finishing with 12 digs across the four sets. Kupper has picked up double digit digs in nine of her last 10 matches and has gone over the 20-dig mark in four of those 10 matches. She leads the Cardinals with 234 digs across her 56 sets played this year, averaging 4.18 digs per set in her first year.
As they enter their final stretch of MEC North Division play, the Cardinals currently hold a two-match lead for the top spot in the Division. They hold their advantage over Fairmont State and West Liberty, and look to keep their undefeated record in conference play alive. The Cardinals will see all four of their MEC North opponents one more time this season, and will prepare for the MEC South this weekend. Wheeling is the lone team in the conference with an undefeated record, with Concord, Charleston, and West Virginia Wesleyan each sitting at one loss. The Cardinals will look to take care of their business and bring the MEC Tournament back to the Alma Grace McDonough Center.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 57th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 54-2. One of the two losses in the all-time series came on the hilltop, where Wheeling is 18-1 compared to a 30-0 record when they play in the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The Hilltoppers have taken at least one set from the Cardinals in eight of the last 11 match-ups, and the Cardinals will look to keep their winning ways alive.
The last meeting between the two teams came on November 15th, 2024, in a match that the Cardinals would win 3-0. Leading the way for Wheeling was former Cardinal Riley Kindall, who finished with 11 kills and 12 digs for the double-double on the day. Former Cardinal Karly Niesen also picked up a double-double in the match, finishing with a team-best 15 digs and 40 assists in the effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Tuesday's match is scheduled for 7 PM inside the Academic Sports & Receration Complex on the campus of West Liberty University. You can watch the match live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
