WHEELING, W.V. – The Malone University volleyball team dropped their seventh straight match on the road Tuesday at Wheeling University. The Cardinals (3-6) defeated the Pioneers 3-0 to send Malone to 2-7 overall.
 
Both teams had their best hitting in set one, but Wheeling was outstanding with 18 kills on just 30 swings. The Cardinals went up 6-1 and did not look back from there in a 25-15 set win. Emma Weirich and Marissa Smith led the Pioneers in the first.
 
The first five points in set two were credited to the home team, but a 6-0 run fueled by Smith, Laiken Wallick and Brianne Salinas cut the deficit to three at 12-9. That would be as close as the Pioneers got in a 25-16 loss.
 
In the third, Wheeling once again used a scoring run to begin the period to take the lead. The Cardinals led 7-1 and eventually pulled away 25-14 to claim the set and match. Aces by Jaymes Gilbert and Weirich were not enough to build momentum for the Pioneers.
 
Gilbert was the lone student-athlete with double-digit kills with 10. Meinen had 14 assists for the team. Macy McCauley was strong defensively with 19 digs in total. She was targeted on 33 opposing serves and only had one reception error.
 
Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play begins on Friday, September 20 at Thomas More University. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 P.M.