Elkins, W. Va. – After playing at home for 11 straight matches, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (10-5, 4-1) hit the road for the first time since August 29 on Friday. The Cardinals traveled down to Davis & Elkins College, competing in the first-ever Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division meeting between the two teams. Wheeling would keep their recent string of success going, picking up their fourth straight sweep over the Senators, powered by a pair of double-doubles on the day.
Those double-double performances would come courtesy of Camryn Matus and Faith Keifer, who have been the two driving forces for the Cardinals' recent success. Matus would lead the way on the offensive side of the ball, knocking down a team-best 12 kills while tying for the team lead with 11 assists. The sophomore would swing a team-high 33 times to finish with a .273 hitting percentage on the night. Keifer would also secure a double-double, matching Matus's effort with 11 assists on the night, while leading the defense with 11 digs. For Keifer, it was her fourth double-double of the season, with all four of those coming in the team's last eight matches. Finishing right behind Matus was Aleithia Wilson, who finished with five kills while adding two service aces on the night. Mara McDougal would round out the day with nine digs, while Katie Wilking and Bella DeBarr each added a block assist.
It would be another efficient night on the attack for Wheeling, who hit .273 as a team, and it started from set one. Three straight Senator attack errors would start the night before Matus knocked down the first kill of the day. It kicked off what would be a 12-1 run for the Cardinals to start the match. Matus and DeBarr would each knock down two kills during the run, and by the media timeout, the Cardinals were staked to a 15-3 advantage. As the set went on, the Cardinal defense would keep the Senators in single digits until a Matus kill made it a 23-10 score. Davis & Elkins would stay alive for one more point before Matus ended the set with her fourth kill of the set as the Cardinals picked up the 25-11 set one win. It was the start of what would be a big night for the sophomore, and the Cardinals were staked to a 1-0 lead.
In set two, the Cardinals would once again get out to an early advantage, scoring three of the first four points and taking a 10-5 lead through the first 15 points. Isabella Faro would knock down a kill and add a service ace to lead the way during the run, while Autumn King knocked down two kills to wrap up the run. As the set went on, the Cardinals would hold a 15-10 lead, but Davis & Elkins would get back into the set. A 5-0 Senator run late would give Davis & Elkins their first lead of the night at 21-20, and as the set was coming down to the wire, the score sat tied at 23-23. A Senator attack error would bring up set point for the Cardinals, but a Kaylee Vanjo kill brought on a win-by-two scenario. The Cardinals would quickly end the set with back-to-back kills from Wilson and King, and the Cardinals took the 26-24 set two win and led 2-0 heading into the third set.
With a 2-0 lead on their side, the Cardinals would look for their fourth straight sweep heading into set three. The two teams traded the first 12 points of the match, and neither team would lead by more than three points until the late portions of the set. Davis & Elkins was the first team to reach 15 points, and the Senators were in control late, leading 21-19. A service error and a setting error would tie things back up at 21-21, but a DeBarr attack error would put Davis & Elkins back in the lead. Wheeling would turn to their leader to close things out, with Matus knocking down a kill that started the match-winning 4-0 run. A block assist from Katie Wilking and Wilson would bring up match point, and a Carmen Muzingo kill was the nail in the coffin as the Cardinals picked up the 25-22 set three win and the sweep of the match.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team returns to action on Tuesday, October 6, when they host West Liberty University at 7 p.m.
