West Liberty, W. Va. - The 2025 edition of "The Battle for Wheeling" commenced on the volleyball court as the Wheeling University Volleyball team (8-10, 4-1) traveled up the hilltop to take on West Liberty. Two of the three sets would go to win-by-two scenarios, but in the end the Cardinals were swept in straight sets as they fell 3-0. It was the team's first conference loss of the season as they continue battling for a spot in the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Volleyball Tournament.
In the first set, the Cardinals would come out swinging as Camryn Matus got things started with a kill. It sent the Cardinals on a 5-1 run to start the match, with Matus knocking down kills on two of those five points, and the Cardinals had the early advantage. Matus continued to lead the Cardinals throughout the early portion of the set, picking up five kills in the first 12 points as she helped the Cardinals to a 12-7 lead. The Cardinals maintained that advantage at 19-15 late in the set, but West Liberty would hit their run. They scored six of the next seven points and overtook the Cardinals 21-20. The Hilltoppers would bring up set point on a kill by Kyia White, but the Cardinals Aleithia Wilson was there to respond and send the set into a win-by-two scenario. The two teams would trade the first two points of the extra session, but West Liberty would knock down the final two points for a 27-26 win.
It gave the Hilltoppers a 1-0 lead in the match and they would once again get on top scoring the first three points of set two. Wheeling would battle back to tie things at 5-5, thanks to kills from Wilking and Matus and the score would sit tied early at 6-6. West Liberty would create separation with two separate runs of 5-1 and 3-0,as they built a 15-9 lead in the set. The Cardinals would get back in the set twice, getting to within three points of the Hilltoppers, but both times they would pull away. The Hilltoppers would lead 23-17 late in the set, and Lexi Duplessis would try to keep the set alive with a kill that made it 23-18. However, an attack error would give the ball back to West Liberty and Kyia White would finish things with a kill that gave the Hilltoppers a 25-18 lead. They took a 2-0 lead in the match and the Cardinals would have one more chance to stay alive in the match.
Set three would be a set of runs early, with Wheeling scoring the first two points, followed by a 4-1 run from the Hilltoppers that had the score at 4-3. Throughout the set, the two teams went back and forth, and the set would sit tied at 17-17 late. Wilking would send the Cardinals on a short 3-0 run that head them ahead 19-17, but the Hilltoppers answered again. West Liberty would once again battle back to tie the set at 23-23 before Matus went up for the solo block to set up set point. West Liberty's Ashley Cudnik would knock down a kill to send it to a win-by-two scenario and two straight Hilltopper points had the Cardinals on the ropes. Olivia Batch would knock down a kill to keep the Cardinals alive, but Cudnik and Amira DuPree would put down the final two kills as the Hilltoppers won the set 27-25 and took the match 3-0.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Camryn Matus, who finished with 15 kills in the effort. She was one of the Cardinal's most efficient hitters, putting together a .355 hitting percentage, marking her fifth .300 hitting percentage or higher performance this season. Wheeling's most efficient hitter was Katie Wilking, who finished with 10 kills on 22 total attacks, finishing with a .409 hitting percentage. Seven different Cardinals finished with at least one assist in the game, with Lexi Duplessis leading the way with 23 assists in the effort. On the back line, Kendall Kupper once again leading the way, finishing with 15 digs on the day.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team returns to action on Friday, October 17th, when they host West Virginia Wesleyan, with tip-off at 7 PM.
