Wheeling, W. Va. – Over the past 10 seasons, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (0-0, 0-0) has made their way down to Pensacola, Florida to start the year. They will make one last trip to the sunshine state in 2026, when they head to West Florida University for the SpringHill Suites Invitational, hosted by The University of West Florida. The run begins on Thursday when the Cardinals open against Spring Hill College at noon, and features two ranked match-ups and a NCAA DI opponent to open the season.
The Cardinals will be looking to build off a 2025 season that saw them go through a youth movement, with 10 freshmen joining the roster. The young players were thrown right into the fire, with three ranked opponents in their first seven matches. As the Cardinals came home, they would right the ship, going 3-1 at the annual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)/Mountain East Conference (MEC) Crossover Event. They carried that momentum into their conference schedule, going 4-0 to start the MEC stretch, and improved to 8-8 overall by the middle of October. The young team would have its share of ups and downs the rest of the way, but competed for the MEC North Division title down to the final day of the season. They would end up winning a share of that MEC North title, but their postseason run came to an abrupt end, when Wheeling fell in a five-set match with Charleston in the MEC Quarterfinal round.
While the Cardinals are still young heading into 2026, it will be senior Katie Wilking looking to step into that leadership role for the Cardinals. Wilking is coming off her first career American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American honor in a year that saw her finish with 265 kills and a team-best .321 hitting percentage. She had the third highest hitting percentage in the conference, and finished with a .300 hitting percentage or better in 15 of the 30 matches she appeared in. While her contributions on offense were significant, she also played a big role on the defensive end, setting a career-high with 82.0 total blocks during the season. It was enough to place her 10th in the MEC in total blocks, while she moved up to eighth in block assists with 68. As she enters her senior year, the three-time All-MEC honoree looks to continue leading the Cardinals on their road back to a conference championship.
With a year of experience under her belt, sophomore Camryn Matus returns on the outside as the reigning MEC Freshman of the Year. She was the Cardinals' leading attacker from a season ago, finishing with 297 kills and an average of 2.75 kills/set across 30 matches played. She also accomplished a feat that had not been done since 2013, recording a triple-double with 10 kills, 23 assists, and 10 digs against Frostburg State. She plays all over the court, finishing sixth on the team with 139 digs, and third with 59 assists, as she looks to continue her strong play. On the back line, the Cardinals return defensive specialists Mara McDougal and Kendall Kupper, who each held the Libero position a season ago. McDougal led the way with 306 digs, while Kupper held the highest digs/set at 3.57. Both will look to lead the defensive effort for the Cardinals throughout 2026.
Head Coach Christy Benner likes to challenge her teams early in the season, and the 2026 season is no exception. In the Cardinal's first four matches, they will face a ranked opponent twice in Southwest Minnesota State, while taking on the newest NCAA Division I program in The University of West Florida. The Cardinals are looking for their first win at this SpringHill Suites Tournament since the 2024 season, when they defeated Spring Hill College 3-1 to go 1-3 on the weekend. The Cardinals have been traveling to the SpringHill Suites Tournament since the 2016 season and, with West Florida going Division I, it will be their final trip to West Florida to start the year. The Cardinals will be looking to start out strong, before coming home for a long homestand that lasts through the end of September.
The Matchups
Spring Hill College: The Cardinals and Badgers are meeting for the sixth time in program history on Thursday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 3-2. Of the five previous meetings, four of them have come at the SpringHill Suites Tournament, with the only exception being a meeting in Wheeling back in 2021. It has been a competitive series overall, with four of the five matches going at least four sets and the teams splitting the last four meetings. Their last match came on September 5, 2025, with Spring Hill College earning a 3-2 win. Cami Black would lead the offense with 15 kills, while Kendall Kupper had a team-high 17 digs.
The University of West Florida: The Cardinals and Tartans are meeting for the 13th time in program history on Friday, with West Florida leading the all-time series at 9-3. The Cardinals are looking to break a six-match losing streak at the hands of West Florida, with their last win coming back during the 2019 season. The Cardinals have competed well in those previous six matches, forcing at least four sets in four of those six matches. The last meeting between the teams came on September 5, 2025, in a match that West Florida would win 3-0. Cami Black would lead the offense with six kills, while former Cardinal Megan Platt added 12 digs and Faith Keifer added 12 assists to round out the effort.
#14 SW Minnesota State: The Cardinals and Mustangs will meet twice during the weekend, and have met six times previously. Southwest Minnesota State leads the all-time series at 5-1, with the Cardinals looking for their first win since 2014. The two teams have matched up at this SpringHill Suites Tournament in each of the last three seasons, and in total have met in Pensacola, Florida in five of their six previous matches. Their last meeting came on September 6, 2025, in a match that Southwest Minnesota State would win 3-0. Cami Black led the effort with 11 kills, while Faith Keiefer added seven digs and former Cardinal Lexi Duplessis added 13 assists.
The Details
First serve for the Cardinals' weekend opener against Spring Hill College will be on Thursday at 12 PM inside the UWF Field House at the University of West Florida. You can follow along with Live Stats throughout the tournament by clicking HERE.
