Box Score
WHEELING, W.Va. – Eighth-seeded UVa-Wise volleyball was ousted from the Mountain East Conference Tournament by top-seeded Wheeling Jesuit University Thursday night in the quarterfinals. The fifth-ranked Cardinals (36-2) swept the Cavaliers (10-24) 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-15) inside Wheeling Jesuit's Grace McDonough Center.
The defending NCAA Division II national champions hit at a clip of .461 for the match and recorded 43 kills in just three sets, tallying 12 or more in each set. Wheeling Jesuit held UVa-Wise to an attack percentage of .120 as the Cavs registered 29 total kills. The host Cardinals collected five service aces and made six total team blocks, compared to just two by UVa-Wise. The Cavs were only able to make 17 digs in the match as Wheeling Jesuit dug 37 UVa-Wise attacks.
UVa-Wise was unable to claim more than 15 points in any set with the Cardinals jumping on the Cavs early and often in each set. Wheeling Jesuit raced out to a 10-2 lead in the first set and an 11-4 advantage in the second before claiming the opening two sets, 25-12 and 25-11. The Cavs fought hard in the third set to make it the tightest of the three, winning three consecutive points to make it a four-point game at 10-6. UVa-Wise was able to stay within striking distance for much of the set before the Cardinals won four out of five points at 21-14 to clinch the match with a 25-15 third-set win.
All-MEC Second Team selection senior outside hitter
Karley Allen (Lanexa, Va.) led the Cavalier attack with 12 kills and four digs as fellow senior outside hitter
Erin Anderson (Richmond, Va.) totaled five kills and four digs. Sophomore right side hitter
Amanda Auxier (Midlothian, Va.) and senior middle blocker
Santana Bishop (Gate City, Va.) each contributed four kills, while freshman setter
Morgan Milligan (Bridgewater, Va.) and senior libero
Erin Lee (Fincastle, Va.) added two digs a piece. Milligan assisted on 17 of the Cavs' 29 kills and freshman setter
Caitlynn Doss (Abingdon, Va.) assisted on another nine. Senior middle blocker
Lindsey Tucker (Midlothian, Va.), Anderson Auxier and senior right side hitter
Simona Zduoba (Boyce, Va.) each earned one block.
The Cardinals were led by MEC Freshman of the Year Breanna Kramer and All-MEC Second Team honoree Lauren Graves with 12 kills each. Wheeling Jesuit also got seven kills from MEC Player of the Year Haley Kindall and four blocks from Katie Campbell. All-MEC second-teamer Emma Schleucher and Abby Moffit each served two aces for the Cardinals, while Graves added three blocks and Maddy Smyth made two. All-MEC First Team selection Andrea Thobe tallied a match-high 36 assists as fellow All-MEC First Team honoree Kayce Krucki got to a match-high 14 digs and Kramer earned nine digs of her own.
Thursday night's loss wraps up the 2016 season for the Cavs as UVa-Wise will say goodbye to six seniors, all of whom were in this year's starting rotation. The Cavs will now turn their attention to next season where UVa-Wise will feature a young team with only one senior in defensive specialist
Samantha Edge (Roanoke, Va.).
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