WISE, Va. – The UVa-Wise women's volleyball team is ready to take on fifth-seeded Shepherd University in the quarterfinals of the Mountain East Conference Volleyball Tournament Thursday at 5 p.m. The first-round match will take place inside the McDonough Center on the campus of top-seeded and 12th-ranked Wheeling Jesuit in Wheeling, West Virginia.
 
UVa-Wise is seeking its first postseason win since 2011 when the Cavaliers defeated the University of Pikeville 3-0 in the opening round of the Mid-South Conference Volleyball Tournament.
 
The fourth-seeded Cavs (15-16, 10-6 MEC) will face the Rams (15-16, 9-7 MEC) for the second-consecutive Thursday. A week ago the Cavs were defeated on the road in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, despite claiming the first set 28-26. UVa-Wise was not able to win another set against the Rams and fell 3-1 (26-28, 25-18, 25-23, 25-17). Thursday the Cavs will look to avenge last week's loss and get their first win against Shepherd in program history. UVa-Wise is 0-4 all-time versus the Rams after being swept twice (3-0) during the 2013 season both at home and on the road, and losing a 3-1 decision last season at Shepherd.
 
Although the Cavs have lost six of their last seven matches, the 15 matches won this season are the most for UVa-Wise since the 2007 season. Additionally, the 15 victories are the most in a single season for Head Coach Kristen Salyer in her four years at the helm of the program. This year the Cavs have earned MEC home wins over the University of Charleston (3-2), West Virginia State (3-0), Concord University (3-1), Glenville State (3-0), Urbana University (3-2) and Notre Dame College (3-0), while picking up conference road victories at West Liberty (3-1), West Virginia Wesleyan (3-1), Glenville State (3-0) and West Virginia State (3-2). The Cavs' five non-conference wins include neutral-site victories over Johnson C. Smith University (3-0) and Salem International (3-0), two road wins at Pfeiffer University (3-0) and Lees-McRae College (3-1), and a 3-0 sweep of Milligan College at home. UVa-Wise is 2-5 in neutral-site matches this season.
 
Shepherd enters Thursday's contest against the Cavs having won three of its last four matches and five of its past eight. During the regular season the Rams were winners in league home matches against Glenville State (3-0), West Liberty (3-1), Urbana University (3-2), Notre Dame College (3-1), UVa-Wise (3-1) and Concord (3-0), while getting MEC road victories at Notre Dame College (3-0), Urbana University (3-0) and West Virginia State (3-0). The Rams' seven conference losses came at home against Fairmont State (3-2) and Wheeling Jesuit (3-0) and on the road at Charleston (3-2), Wheeling Jesuit (3-0), West Liberty (3-0), Fairmont State (3-2) and West Virginia Wesleyan (3-2). Shepherd is 4-5 in neutral-site matches this season with those five losses coming at the hands of Wayne State (3-1), LIU Post (3-1), Kutztown University (3-1), Seton Hill (3-0) and Shippensburg University (3-2).
 
If UVa-Wise defeats Shepherd Thursday the Cavs will then have a matchup against the winner of No. 1 Wheeling Jesuit and No. 8 West Virginia Wesleyan Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the MEC semifinals. The Lady Cardinals and Lady Bobcats play each other Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
 
Free online streaming of all matches will be available via Wheeling Jesuit's CardinalCast, along with live stats. Please visit the tournament's home page here or click on the links at the top of the page for complete tournament information.
 
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