Wheeling, W. Va. - After playing three of their last four matches on the road, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (8-11, 4-2) came home to the Alma Grace McDonough Center Friday night for the first of a back-to-back weekend. The Cardinals would welcome in the red hot West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats and, despite battling back in each of the three sets, they were unable to overcome the early deficits. The Cardinals would fall 3-0, taking their second Mountain East Conference (MEC) loss of the season, and their first home conference loss of the season.
The Bobcats were poised to make a statement early and did just that by scoring six of the first seven points. Olivia Batch had the lone kill during the run and only a Bobcat attack error would stop the run as the Bobcats were staked to an early lead. They would push that advantage to 10-2and got to the 18 point mark before the Cardinals would reach double digits in the set. Wheeling would slowly push back, but the early lead would give Wesleyan the advantage and they set up set point at 24-15. A Camryn Matus kill would not only keep the Cardinal's alive, but sent them on a run as they kept the set alive. Wheeling would score seven straight points, with Matus and Batch knocking down kills during the run. They would get as close as 24-22, but West Virginia Wesleyan would close the set out with a kill by Bhrooke Axe, and they took the set 25-22.
With the Cardinals down 1-0, Batch would get things started with a kill in set two, and the Cardinals would jump out to an early 3-2 advantage. However, West Virginia Wesleyan would hit the run again, this time a 7-1 swing, and they would hold a 9-4 advantage in the early going. It would end up being the closest set of the night as Wheeling got to within 14-12 and trailed 18-15 late in the set. The Bobcats would extend their lead with a short 3-0 run, but an attack error would flip the ball back to the Cardinal side of the court. It would be back-to-back Bobcat attack errors that led them to a 4-1 swing that made it a 22-19 set. However, that is as close as the Cardinals would get, as West Virginia Wesleyan scored the final three points of the set, and a Emily Denison kill would bring the set to its final score of 24-19.
The Cardinals found themselves behind 2-0 in the match and they would get out to their best start in set three, scoring the first three points. They would end up holding a 5-2 advantage, but West Virginia Wesleyan would once again battle back and got to withing 5-4. After Wheeling extended its lead, West Virginia Wesleyan would hit a 7-1 run and their lead increased to 11-7. An attack error would temporarily break the run, but another five-point swing would turn that lead into a 16-8 advantage and put the Cardinals back on their heels. Matus would break the run with a kill and Wheeling would end up scoring five of the next seven points, getting to within 19-13, and they would end up going point for point with the Bobcats. With the score sitting at 23-16 late, Ava Dickerson would knock down a kill, but West Virginia Wesleyan finished out the match with back-to-back points to win the set 25-17 and take the match 3-0.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Olivia Batch, who finished with seven kills on the night. She added two block assists and six digs on the back line as she returned to the Cardinal lineup. Katie Wilking and Camryn Matus would finish behind her with five kills each as the Cardinals rounded out the offense. On the back line, it was Mara McDougal leading the way with 11 digs, while Lexi Duplessis led the passing game with 11 assists to round out the effort.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team is right back in action on Saturday, October 18th, when they host Davis & Elkins college with first serve at 1 PM.
