Wheeling, W. Va. - In the final week of the regular season, the Wheeling University Volleyball team secured their #2 seed in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division with a 2-0 effort. On Monday, the MEC released their weekly Player of the Week honors, presented by The Healthplan, and the Cardinal defensive leader was honored for her efforts. Sophomore Defensive Specialist Mara McDougal was named the MEC Defensive Player of the Week, marking the second time this season that the sophomore has earned the honor.
It was a big week for McDougal, who led the Cardinals to a 2-0 effort against Davis & Elkins and West Liberty to wrap up the regular season. Across the two matches, McDougal would finish with 48 digs, while not committing a reception error across any of the eight sets played. Along with her defensive effort, McDougal would also make her contributions on the offensive side of the ball, finishing with three service aces and one assist to wrap up the big week. With the effort, McDougal continues to climb the conference ladder in terms of digs, moving up to fourth in the conference with 475 digs this season. She also ranks fourth with an average of 4.90 digs/set. She has already far surpassed last year's number of 306 digs, and looks to continue building on her success as the team heads towards this week's MEC Tournament.
Her biggest effort of the week would come against West Liberty as the two teams battled to five sets in their rivalry match. She would set her new career-high, finishing with 32 digs in the effort, while adding two of her three service aces during the week and her only assist. It was the fourth time in the last six matches that McDougal has surpassed the 20-dig mark, and was the most digs she has had in a match since starting that streak with 26 against Fairmont State. She would start her week in the Cardinal's straight set sweep of Davis & Elkins, when she finished with 16 digs and one service ace in the team's home finale. As they head into the postseason, Wheeling will be relying on McDougal to be a steady piece on the back line that they can count on throughout the season.
With Mara McDougal winning Defensive Player of the Week honors, the Wheeling University Athletic Department has now had 15 student-athletes earn Conference Player of the Week honors. McDougal is winning the honor for the second time this season, and joins teammate Camryn Matus in having been honored this season. The last Cardinal Conference Player of the Week honor came back on October 28th, when men's golfer Cormac Pearson and Women's Golfer Sawyer Hobbs were honored.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team returns to action on Wednesday, November 11, when they take on The University of Charleston in the MEC Quarterfinal round with first serve at 11:30 AM
