Wheeling, W. Va. - After a long two months of battling on the court, it all comes down to the final match of the year as the Wheeling University Volleyball team (16-12, 10-3) enters "The Battle for Wheeling" on Friday night. The Cardinals welcome in West Liberty with tip-off at 7 PM in a game that has implications both in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament field as well as the NCAA Atlantic Regional Field. The Cardinals will honor their seniors in a special pregame ceremony, before battling it out with their rivals for the 2025 MEC North Divisional Crown.
Last time out, the Cardinals hit the road for their non-conference finale against Salem on Tuesday night. Wheeling would set the tone right from the get-go, hitting .256 in the first set and jumping out to a 13-8 advantage. It would be enough for the Cardinals to hold on the rest of the way as they picked up a 25-17 win that gave them a 1-0 lead. Salem would fight back in set two, going back and forth with the Cardinals throughout the set. It sat tied at 16-16 late in the set and the Cardinals were able to hold on for a 25-22 win to take a crucial 2-0 lead. Wheeling carried that momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 9-2 advantage and rode that momentum the rest of the day. It was enough for the Cardinals to close out the match with a 25-12 win that earned them the 3-0 sweep of the day.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Olivia Batch, who was the only Cardinal to hit double-digit kills on the day. She finished with 13 kills on 34 total attacks, while being the team's most efficient hitter with a .324 hitting percentage. Coming off a double-double against Point Park last week, it was Batch's second straight double digit kill effort, and was just three kills shy of her season-high against CAL-U back on September 20th. Along with her offensive contributions, Batch would also contribute both on defense and in the server's box, finishing with five digs and a career-best three service aces in the effort. Batch is coming off being named the MEC's Freshman of the Year last season and looks to continue to lead the team down the postseason stretch.
The server's box was a key part to the Cardinal success throughout the night, with nine service aces as a team, and leading that effort was Camryn Matus. Matus would finish with four service aces in the effort, setting a career-high, while tying for second on the team with six kills. A setter by trade, Matus has stepped up on the offensive side of the ball due to injury and currently sits sixth in the conference with 280 kills this season. She will be a key piece of the Cardinal's attack throughout the postseason and looks to keep things rolling. On the back line, it was Megan Platt once again leading the way, finishing with 16 digs in the effort. She has rallied over the final month of the season, putting together 129 digs over the last seven matches while averaging 5.16 digs/set during that span. She will be a key player in the defensive scheme as Wheeling looks to claim an MEC North title.
As they head into the final match of the regular season, there will be a lot on the line to round out the season. Charleston and West Virginia State match up on Thursday night in Institute, West Virginia and, if Charleston wins they will serve as the host site for the 2025 MEC Volleyball tournament. However, if West Virginia State wins, Wheeling will get the chance to host the 2025 MEC Volleyball Tournament with a win over West Liberty. The match will also have implications on the MEC North Division standings, with the Cardinals holding a one-match lead over both West Liberty and Fairmont State. A win for the Cardinals secures them the MEC North title, while a loss makes it a three-way tie for the top spot in the division, with tie breakers determining the champion.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 58th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 54-3. Wheeling has defended the nest well against the Hilltoppers, winning each of the 30 matches played their, compared to an 8-2 record when they are on the road. Wheeling fell to the Hilltoppers in the first meeting of the season, but have won nine of the previous 10 meetings between the two teams heading into Friday night.
The first meeting of the season was back on October 14th, in a match that the Hilltoppers would sweep 3-0. Leading the way for the Cardinals was Camryn Matus, who finished with 15 kills on the day, followed by 10 from Katie Wilking. On the defensive end, it was Kendall Kupper leading the effort with 15 digs while Lexi Duplessis added 23 assists in the winning effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Friday night's match is scheduled for 7 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center and it is a Code Red match for fans. You can watch the match live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
