INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State University ended Wheeling's decade-long reign atop the Mountain East Conference volleyball world on Saturday, capturing the MEC Championship with a 3-1 (25-13, 16-25, 25-16, 25-19) victory at the Walker Convocation Center. The historic win marked the Yellow Jackets' first-ever conference tournament title and ended Wheeling's dominance, as the Cardinals had won every MEC championship since the league's inception in 2013-14.
State's record improves to 23-9, 14-1 in MEC play, while Wheeling drops to 25-10, 12-2 in the conference.
West Virginia State opened with a commanding 25-13 victory in the first set, fueled by stifling defense and consistent offense. The Yellow Jackets held Wheeling to a -.065 hitting percentage while posting a solid .194 percentage themselves. Baby Moleni and Hannah Steele delivered early kills, and the front line of Valencia Wilder and Kiersten Eggleton contributed multiple blocks, forcing Wheeling into attack errors. Libero Morgan Caba anchored the back row with critical digs, enabling smooth transitions to offense. WVSU closed the set emphatically, with Moleni slamming home the final point on a solo block.
Wheeling responded in the second set, claiming a 25-16 victory fueled by efficient hitting and relentless defense. The Cardinals hit .225 while holding WVSU to a mere .050. Wheeling's aggressive serving and kills from Mady Winters and Riley Kindall gave the Cardinals an edge. West Virginia State stayed close early with kills from Moleni and Wilder but struggled with consistency as Wheeling's blocking disrupted their offensive rhythm.
West Virginia State regained control in the third set with a decisive 25-16 victory, hitting a blistering .400 while holding Wheeling to .032. Back-to-back service aces from Ashlynne Davis set the tone for the Yellow Jackets. Moleni and Steele delivered timely kills, while Eggleton orchestrated the attack with precision. Defensively, Wilder and Eggleton were a dominant presence at the net, forcing Wheeling into errors and maintaining momentum.
In the fourth set, West Virginia State etched its name in the history books with a hard-fought 25-19 win. The set featured 10 ties and 5 lead changes as Wheeling fought to extend their reign and WVSU sought to make history. Early kills from Wilder, Steele, and Mathews kept the Yellow Jackets within striking distance. A key service ace from Eggleton put WVSU ahead 19-17, and Steele's clutch kill brought up match point at 24-19. Fittingly, Caba sealed the victory with a service ace, igniting celebrations in the Walker Convocation Center.
The Yellow Jackets displayed a balanced attack, hitting .240 as a team with 53 kills, 9 service aces, and 12 blocks, while limiting Wheeling to a .106 hitting percentage. Moleni led the offense with 13 kills and 3 blocks for 15 points, while Wilder added 11 kills on a .368 hitting percentage and a team-high 7 blocks. Eggleton directed the offense with 43 assists, 12 digs, and 2 aces. Steele contributed 12 kills and 2 blocks, and Caba tallied 23 digs and 3 aces to anchor the defense.
This historic victory solidifies West Virginia State's rise as a force in the MEC and earns them an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. Yellow Jackets standouts Eggleton, Moleni, and Steele were named to the All-Tournament Team, joined by Wheeling's Kindall and Niesen. Emma Shepherd (Charleston) and Meg Williams (Concord) rounded out the honorees.
WVSU now awaits its seeding and location for the NCAA tournament, to be announced on Monday.
