Wednesday, November 7
Morgantown, W.Va.
6:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Marshall
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Mountaineers, Herd to Meet Wednesday
November 06, 2018 05:47 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Looking to bounce back from a two-match skid in Big 12 play, the West Virginia University volleyball team will cap its nonconference slate with a match against in-state rival Marshall on Wednesday, Nov. 7. First serve is set for 6 p.m. ET, at the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown.
Wednesday's match will be a Gold Rush, as all fans are encouraged to wear gold. Additionally, the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free foam finger, courtesy of WVU Medicine.
It also is the Mountaineers' last Dollar Day of the season, with tickets and select concessions available for $1 each. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVUGAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission, and tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
Wednesday marks the 51st all-time meeting between the Mountaineers (10-14) and the Thundering Herd (10-17). WVU holds a 30-20 advantage in the all-time series, which started on Oct. 5, 1974. The 2018 season marks the 23rd time the two will meet in Morgantown, and the Mountaineers hold a 16-6 advantage at the WVU Coliseum. Of note, West Virginia is 2-1 all-time under fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara.
"It's a good in-state rivalry," Sunahara said. "Marshall is a great opponent for us, so we are looking forward to a good match. We have Keatan [Broughton] on our team, and she reminds them of the rivalry. I think it's good, it's a healthy relationship. Marshall is playing well, and we need to execute at a high level."
The Mountaineers swept the Thundering Herd last season to bring the Golden Ball Trophy back to Morgantown for the second time in three years. It marked WVU's first sweep of the Thundering Herd since 2010, as the Mountaineers claimed their last win in five sets back in 2015. It also was West Virginia's first win in Huntington since 2000
West Virginia enters the match with an 8-5 mark in nonconference play this season and is 37-21 all-time in non-league matches under Sunahara. The Mountaineers are currently 7-5 at the WVU Coliseum this season.
Most recently, West Virginia is coming off a 3-0 loss to Big 12 foe Kansas State on Saturday, at Ahearn Field House, in Manhattan, Kansas. The Wildcats took the match from the Mountaineers in set scores of 25-12, 25-17 and 25-23. WVU finished the match hitting .154 with 36 kills and four team blocks.
Sophomore middle blocker Katie DeMeo currently ranks third in the Big 12 Conference in blocks per set, totaling 108 blocks on the season to average 1.38 per set. The Troy, Ohio, native also ranks 20th among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per set.
DeMeo is on pace to etch her name in the WVU single-season record book. Her average of 1.38 blocks per set would rank No. 3 all-time by a Mountaineer sophomore and eighth overall in a single season in program history. Additionally, she boasts 108 total blocks on the year, one shy of moving into the top-five all-time by a sophomore.
Junior outside hitter Katelyn Evans has played in all but one set for the Mountaineers this season. She leads the team with 285 kills, averaging 3.20 per set to rank ninth in the Big 12. The Palmdale, California, native has recorded double-digit kills in 16 matches, including 12 of the last 15.
The Thundering Herd enters Wednesday's match with a 10-17 overall record, most recently suffering a three-set setback to the FIU Panthers on Sunday.
The Herd are led offensively by redshirt sophomore Ciara Debell with 406 kills. Seniors Shelby Conley and Lauren Mattmuller are next with 169 and 167, respectively. On defense, junior libero Amber Weber has recorded 514 digs in her first full season as Marshall's full-time libero, averaging 5.14 digs per set. Additionally, freshman Isa Dostal has a team-high 54 total blocks on the year.
Of note, the Mountaineers are two wins away from collecting their 700th win in program history. West Virginia currently holds a 698-737 all-time record since its inaugural season in 1974.
Looking ahead, West Virginia will travel to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Nov. 10, for a Big 12 match against the Cyclones at the Hilton Coliseum. First serve is set for 9 p.m. ET, as the Mountaineers and the Cyclones meet for the 17th time overall on Saturday and the 14th time in league play since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. ISU owns a 15-1 lead in the all-time series.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Wednesday's match will be a Gold Rush, as all fans are encouraged to wear gold. Additionally, the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free foam finger, courtesy of WVU Medicine.
It also is the Mountaineers' last Dollar Day of the season, with tickets and select concessions available for $1 each. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVUGAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission, and tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
Wednesday marks the 51st all-time meeting between the Mountaineers (10-14) and the Thundering Herd (10-17). WVU holds a 30-20 advantage in the all-time series, which started on Oct. 5, 1974. The 2018 season marks the 23rd time the two will meet in Morgantown, and the Mountaineers hold a 16-6 advantage at the WVU Coliseum. Of note, West Virginia is 2-1 all-time under fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara.
"It's a good in-state rivalry," Sunahara said. "Marshall is a great opponent for us, so we are looking forward to a good match. We have Keatan [Broughton] on our team, and she reminds them of the rivalry. I think it's good, it's a healthy relationship. Marshall is playing well, and we need to execute at a high level."
The Mountaineers swept the Thundering Herd last season to bring the Golden Ball Trophy back to Morgantown for the second time in three years. It marked WVU's first sweep of the Thundering Herd since 2010, as the Mountaineers claimed their last win in five sets back in 2015. It also was West Virginia's first win in Huntington since 2000
West Virginia enters the match with an 8-5 mark in nonconference play this season and is 37-21 all-time in non-league matches under Sunahara. The Mountaineers are currently 7-5 at the WVU Coliseum this season.
Most recently, West Virginia is coming off a 3-0 loss to Big 12 foe Kansas State on Saturday, at Ahearn Field House, in Manhattan, Kansas. The Wildcats took the match from the Mountaineers in set scores of 25-12, 25-17 and 25-23. WVU finished the match hitting .154 with 36 kills and four team blocks.
Sophomore middle blocker Katie DeMeo currently ranks third in the Big 12 Conference in blocks per set, totaling 108 blocks on the season to average 1.38 per set. The Troy, Ohio, native also ranks 20th among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per set.
DeMeo is on pace to etch her name in the WVU single-season record book. Her average of 1.38 blocks per set would rank No. 3 all-time by a Mountaineer sophomore and eighth overall in a single season in program history. Additionally, she boasts 108 total blocks on the year, one shy of moving into the top-five all-time by a sophomore.
Junior outside hitter Katelyn Evans has played in all but one set for the Mountaineers this season. She leads the team with 285 kills, averaging 3.20 per set to rank ninth in the Big 12. The Palmdale, California, native has recorded double-digit kills in 16 matches, including 12 of the last 15.
The Thundering Herd enters Wednesday's match with a 10-17 overall record, most recently suffering a three-set setback to the FIU Panthers on Sunday.
The Herd are led offensively by redshirt sophomore Ciara Debell with 406 kills. Seniors Shelby Conley and Lauren Mattmuller are next with 169 and 167, respectively. On defense, junior libero Amber Weber has recorded 514 digs in her first full season as Marshall's full-time libero, averaging 5.14 digs per set. Additionally, freshman Isa Dostal has a team-high 54 total blocks on the year.
Of note, the Mountaineers are two wins away from collecting their 700th win in program history. West Virginia currently holds a 698-737 all-time record since its inaugural season in 1974.
Looking ahead, West Virginia will travel to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Nov. 10, for a Big 12 match against the Cyclones at the Hilton Coliseum. First serve is set for 9 p.m. ET, as the Mountaineers and the Cyclones meet for the 17th time overall on Saturday and the 14th time in league play since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. ISU owns a 15-1 lead in the all-time series.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballVB: BYU Cinematic Recap
Saturday, October 04
2025 Volleyball Coal Rush Uniform Reveal
Thursday, October 02
Jen Greeny | Sept. 23 | ESPN+ Halftime Interview
Tuesday, September 30
VB: Dolphin Volleyball Classic Cinematic Recap
Sunday, September 21
