Wheeling, W. Va. – In their 2026 Mountain East Conference (MEC) opener, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (6-5, 1-0) battled their way to a five-set victory over West Virginia State. They look to ride that momentum into their first full week of conference action, when they welcome in Fairmont State on Tuesday with first serve at 7 PM. It will mark the start of their first round through their MEC North Division opponents as they look to set the tone for divisional play.
The Cardinals opened their MEC schedule on Friday when they welcomed in West Virginia State in what was a five-set thriller. It was back and forth right from the start, and the Cardinals would squeak by with a 25-23 win in set one to start the night. However, West Virginia State came right back in set two, putting together a match-best .366 hitting percentage to earn the 25-17 win. With the match tied up at 1-1, Both teams would be looking to grab the momentum, with the score sitting tied at 18-18 late. It would be Wheeling that went on the late run, scoring six of the final nine points to secure the 25-22 set three victory. West Virginia State would stay alive in set four, picking up a 25-22 set win of their own and it would head to a deciding fifth set. Wheeling would respond by taking a 6-2 lead early, and hitting .455 in the set to earn a 15-7 set win and a 3-2 victory on the night.
Leading the effort for the Cardinals was Camryn Matus, who did it all in the five-set victory over the Yellow Jackets. She would finish with her second straight double-double in the effort, finishing with a team-best 17 kills and 20 assists, while hitting .326 on the night. She served as the team's second setter throughout the night and finished off the day with eight digs on the back line. She finished just two digs shy of her second career triple-double and has come within striking distance of that milestone in each of her last three matches. Matus leads the Cardinals in the early going with 102 kills, while slowly climbing the assist leaderboard with 80, placing her third on the team. Matus has now hit .300 or better in back-to-back games, including her season-best .364 against Clarion, and she looks to continue her success throughout conference play.
Finishing right behind her was senior Katie Wilking, who finished with 14 kills on the night and turned it on when it mattered most. She knocked down seven of those 14 kills in the final three sets of the night, including the final kill in the pivotal third set win over the Yellow Jackets. The senior is chasing down history, needing just 140 kills to reach the 1,000 career kill milestone. The other Cardinal to hit the double-double mark on the night was Faith Keifer, who finished with a team-best 26 assists and 17 digs in the effort. It continued a string for the sophomore that has seen her pick up a double-double in three straight matches, with Friday's being her highest statistical performance. Working with Matus, Keifer helps lead the Cardinal's passing game as they look to get things rolling in conference play.
With their conference schedule officially underway, the team continues their 11-game home stand, playing each of their next four matches inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Wheeling has played well on their home floor this season, going 5-2 over the first seven games of this homestand, with four more matches ahead of them, including three this week. Their success has been fueled by their ability to win the first set of matches, with Wheeling going 3-0 when they take the first set, and a perfect 4-0 in matches that go four sets or more. They are taking on a Fairmont State team that has had its own share of success this season, going 12-4 over their non-conference schedule, while coming off a pair of 3-0 wins over Shawnee State and Ursuline over the weekend. Wheeling will look to once again grab the momentum early to start off their first full wee of MEC play.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 64th time in program history on Tuesday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 50-13. Wheeling has gone 25-5 on their home court during that span, with Fairmont State getting the better of them the last time they met in the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Three of their last four matches have gone at least four sets, with Wheeling winning nine of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.
The last meeting came back on October 28th, 2025 in a match that Fairmont State would win 3-1 in the McDonough Center. Camryn Matus led the way for Wheeling, finishing with 12 kills on the night, while Bella DeBarr added 11. Former Cardinal Megan Platt led the effort with 21 digs and Faith Keifer finished with 27 assists to round out the day.
The Details
First serve for Tuesday night's match is scheduled for 7 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
