Wheeling, W. Va. - For the second day in a row, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (1-2, 0-0) met up with the #14 team in NCAA Division II volleyball when they took on Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals put up a strong fight, improving on their set score in each of the three sets against the Mustangs, but in the end they still fell 3-0. Wheeling would hit .194 as a team across the three sets, holding a .200 or better hitting percentage as a team in two of the three sets.
Set one would see the Mustangs continue their hot hitting from Friday scoring the first three points, but Katie Wilking would get the Cardinals going. She knocked down a kill to break the run, and sent her team on a 5-0 run, highlighted by three Southwest Minnesota State errors. It would put the Cardinals out in front 5-3 early, and they were able to maintain that lead at 7-5 four points later on an Aleithia Wilson kill. However, a 9-1 run for the Mustangs made it 15-9 and kept the Cardinals on their heels the rest of the set. Camryn Matus would try to help her team battle back with three kills over the final nine Cardinal points, and an Isabella Faro service ace made it 23-18 Southwest Minnesota State late. However, the Mustangs knocked down the final two kills, taking the set 25-18 to start the day.
Set two would once again see the Mustangs score first, but Autumn King quickly answered with a kill to tie the set at 1-1. However, a 12-2 Southwest Minnesota State run made it a 13-4 set, and the Cardinals would have to battle back once again. A service error for the Mustangs would break the run King and Matus would help their team get back to within 10 points at 21-11. Freshman Isabella Faro would keep the Cardinals alive, knocking down a kill followed by a service ace, and the Cardinals would make it a 22-13 set. However, Southwest Minnesota State's early lead was too much for the Cardinals to overcome as they knocked down the final three points and took a 2-0 lead in the match. With their backs against the wall, the Cardinals were looking to avoid the sweep for the second straight match. The third set would be the most competitive of the day, with the teams trading the first 10 points of the set.
The Cardinals would be the first to hit a run, as Autumn King would knock down a kill to lead the Cardinals on a 4-1 run. The Mustangs tied things up again at 10-10. The lead would change hands three times over the next 12 points, with Southwest Minnesota State holding a 17-15 lead as the teams passed the midway point of the set. Matus would get the Cardinals going again with a kill, sending Wheeling on their biggest run of the day. They would score five straight points, with Faro and Matus picking up kills, while Aleithia Wilson picked up a solo block along the way. The Cardinals had the Mustangs on the ropes late, with a block assist by Brooklyn Brennan and Wilking bringing up set point at 24-21. However, Southwest Minnesota State would score three straight points to force a win-by-two scenario, and King would knock down the final kill for Wheeling as they fell 27-25, completing the 3-0 sweep.
Leading the offensive effort for the Cardinals was Isabella Faro, who set a career-high with 10 kills in the effort. She picked up her first collegiate double-double with 10 digs, while also leading the Cardinals from the server's line with two service aces. Camryn Matus and Autumn King finished right behind her with nine kills each, while Matus had a team-high .261 hitting percentage. On the back line, Mara McDougal would lead the way with 12 digs, hitting double-digit digs in each of the four matches for the Cardinals during the weekend. Brooklyn Brennan rounded out the day with 23 assists, setting a season-high while adding eight digs.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team returns to action on Friday, September 4, when they open the Wheeling Hall of Fame/Alumni Tournament against CAL-U at 6 PM.
