Last week, we looked at the offensive players in the football early signing class of 2023, how they fit with returning scholarship players, known incoming transfers, and what gaps and deficits caused by graduation and portal exits remain to be filled as the effort to put together this year’s squad continues.
This week, it’s the defense and special teams under the microscope.
Defensive Line — No unit on this side of the ball has seen more significant departures than the Mountaineer d-line. With Dante Stills off the NFL, Jordan Jefferson being targeted by LSU, and Taijh Alston looking for a better portal result than what he got in coming to WVU (unlikely), the front has lots of productivity to replace.
West Virginia brought in one “true†defensive lineman in Zach Keith, a rangy (6-5, 240 lbs) edge rusher who the Mountaineers hope to develop in the same way Sean Martin and Akheem Mesidor did. Hopefully Keith won’t follow the path of the latter. As has often been the case with its defensive players, it also has some tweeners, such as James Heard, who are hoped to be able to help as situational pass rushers, but aren’t defensive linemen. Oryend Fisher (6-6, 215 lbs.) could also grow into a defensive end, but for now, this class is definitely short on the additional thumpers it needs. Even with nine scholarship linemen returning, playing experience is short with Martin, Mike Lockhart, Edward Vesterinen and Jalen Thornton as those with anything appreciable. Youngsters such as Asani Redwood, Zeiqui Lawton and Hammond Russell will have to progress quickly. Potential additions include Corey McIntyre, who will be hopefully eligible and qualified after the spring, but more is needed to help bolster the position immediately. Look for at least one d-line transfer to bolster this group.
Linebacker — West Virginia’s freshman class of Heard, Isaiah Trotter and Ben Cutter looks to be very good, and it will not be a surprise to see two or even all three avoid redshirts and play in 2023. West Virginia was OK at ‘backer last year, though Lee Kpogba was the only consistent impact player on the second level, but the Mountaineers have to get much more from the position if it is to offset the losses up and down the defensive roster.
Also included in this position is the bandit, which Heard likely will fill, if it’s part of the defense. Hints have been made about some schematic changes on this side of the ball, which could change the way West Virginia utilizes hybrid spots like the bandit, which it has struggled to fill during Neal Brown’s tenure. Jared Bartlett returns at that position after Lanell Carr dematerialized via the portal, but there are plenty of snaps to fill on the second level of the defense, no matter what the nomenclature or schemes employed. Kpogba and Bartlett are fine, but WVU needs more out of Lance Dixon, who also played spear last year, and youngsters Tirek Austin-Cave and Trey Lathan will have to progress quickly.
Safety — West Virginia’s safety play, especially that at spear and cat, was inconsistent at best in 2022, and lacked much of the connectivity needed between the front line and deep coverage zones. Again, there was decent play at times, mostly from Charles Woods and Jasir Cox, but with the latter chasing an NFL dream and the former apparently unhappy with the way he was utilized during an injury-riddle year, WVU will be searching for those who can defend against both the run and the pass — skills that have become more and more in demand since schools like West Virginia began recruiting those mid-sized players who didn’t have positions in traditional defenses.
Compounding the depth issues, West Virginia lost Saint McLeod due to an off-field incident before his career ever got started, and also saw walk-on Naim Muhammad depart.
The recruiting class featured just one safety, Aden Tagaloa-Nelson, so the Mountaineer coaching staff must believe it has the makings of a good safety corps already on the roster. Last year’s transfers, Hershey McLaurin and Marcis Floyd, were — all together now — inconsistent, contributing to some of the woes in the secondary. Around them are a variety of players with different back stories and levels of experience, but it will take a major effort to put them together into a cohesive unit. Athletically-gifted Davis Mallinger is recovering from a major injury, and whether or not he will be able to participate in spring practice remains a big question. Juco transfer Jaylon Shelton, who did not play last year, is hoped to help, but will have to prove it on the field. Redshirt freshman Aubrey Burks is the best of the returnees, but around him West Virginia will have to develop youngsters like Raleigh Collins, Keaton Thomas and Christon Stokes.
Cornerback — Another trouble spot in 2022, WVU signed brothers Jordan and Josiah Jackson and brought in Kent State transfer Montre Miller to bolster a roster that has been hit hard by injuries and portal exits over the past couple of seasons. Josiah might be a bit more ready to make an effort to get on the field early, but West Virginia desperately needs Miller to be a hit in the portal exchange game. Mumu Bin-Wahad, who got an early chance to play this past season but appeared somewhat overwhelmed in five appearances, was the sole portal departure, but there’s still a lot of playing time to be filled.
Returnees include Jacolby Spells, Andrew Wilson-Lamp, Malachi Ruffin and Caleb Coleman. Ruffin was respectable as he earned a scholarship and worked his way up from special teams standout, but the Mountaineers need much more from the other three in order to build a good group. Another transfer would not hurt at all, but just as at safety a year ago, the Mountaineers need wins from their additions, and quick development from its younger players.
Specialists — The decision of Casey Legg to bypass his final year of eligibility throws the kicking competition wide open. With no scholarship placekickers on the roster, the spring battle will be between Danny King and R.J. Kocan, but more additions will not be a surprise. Oliver Straw and Austin Brinkman have the punting and long snapping jobs in place (and attendant scholarships, but the Mountaineers will also be looking for someone to handle kickoff duties after the graduation of Parker Grothaus.
Legg’s consistency can’t be overemphasized — while he didn’t have the longest range in the world, his unflappability and approach to the game helped set a tone for all of the specialists.
MORGANTOWN — West Virginia added a pair of commitments from transfers Sunday to bolster their defense.
MORGANTOWN — With the regular season at a close, multiple West Virginia University football players have announced they are entering the trans…
West Virginia University receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton will bypass a potential final season of collegiate eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft. The Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, native came to WVU in 2018, redshirted that year, then played four seasons from 2019-22, including 2020, which did not count against his eligibility due to Covid.
In a post to his Twitter account, the WVU redshirt junior outlined his path at the school and included messages to his teammates and fans.
Ford-Wheaton played in just one game during his redshirt year, staying well under the four-game limit for preserving that status, and did not record any stats. He steadily improved over his four full years in uniform, going from 12 catches for 201 yards and three scores in 2019 to 62 receptions for 675 yards and seven TDs this past year.
In all, he played in 44 games in his Mountaineer career, snaring 143 passes for 1857 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also participated on special teams coverage squads, and had seven tackles over the course of his career.
His best game in what was his final season at WVU came against Kansas, in which he had 11 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns against the Jayhawks.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton Career Statistics
YearGmsRecYdsTDs 2019 11 12 201 2 2020 9 27 416 3 2021 12 42 575 3 2022 12 62 675 7
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The No. 29 West Virginia University cross country team competed at the 2022 NCAA National Championship at the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course, hosted by Oklahoma State University on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Redshirt junior Ceili McCabe crossed the finish line first for the Mountaineers with a time of 20:03.2, earning first-team All-American honors and 22nd for the team. Redshirt senior Charlotte Wood followed McCabe, earning 96th for the team with a personal-best time of 20:43.8.
“It is very obvious that Ceili will be disappointed with this performance, as no one had higher expectations for this race than her,†coach Sean Cleary said. “That said, Ceili emerged from the season healthier than she began it and brings home another first-team All-American.â€
Sixth-year senior Mikaela Lucki finished third for the Mountaineers and 102nd overall for the team with a time of 20:46.9, while redshirt junior Katherine Dowie ran the 6k in 21:13.2 and came in 155th for the squad.
Redshirt junior Jeanne Reix Charat rounded out the top-five for WVU with a time of 21:42.7, earning 187th for West Virginia, and redshirt senior Mikenna Vanderheyden followed right behind her in 188th for the team. Redshirt sophomore Abbey Yuhaz sustained an injury during the race and did not finish.
West Virginia finished in 27th-place with 562 points. WVU qualified for the national meet after four Mountaineers finished in the top-25 to earn All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors and lift West Virginia into second place in the region.
Saturday’s race marked the third consecutive year WVU competed in the National Championship, the longest consecutive streak since 2007-2011.
“This is the highest quality cross country race in the world,†Cleary said. “While we had higher goals for the day and missed those goals by the slimmest of margins, the reality is that we will leave Stillwater still very happy that we qualified to stand on the line with the best young runners in the world, yet frustrated that we did not get a little more out of ourselves.â€
No. 1 NC State took first-place on the back of sophomore runner Katlyn Tuohy, who took home the individual title. Big 12 Conference foe No. 3 Oklahoma State finished fourth. A total of 254 athletes and 31 teams competed in the race.
“Onto track,†Cleary said.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Volleyball
TEXAS TECH 3, West Virginia 0: The West Virginia volleyball team (7-21, 0-15 Big 12) fell to Big 12 Conference foe Texas Tech (15-12, 4-10) 25-16, 25-18, 25-17 at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday.
Freshman outside hitter Bailey Miller tallied 10 kills to lead the Mountaineers. Saturday’s match marked her 13th double-digit kills performance of the season. Miller paces WVU on the campaign with 288 kills.
The squad returns to action for the regular-season finale on Wednesday when it welcomes No. 1 Texas to the WVU Coliseum. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. Live stats for the match can be found on WVUSports.com.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — The West Virginia University cross country team heads to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to race in the NCAA National Championship on Saturday, Nov. 19.
This year’s championship is hosted by Oklahoma State University at the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course. The women’s 6k race is set to begin at 10:20 a.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPNU, while live stats will be available at WVUsports.com.
Saturday marks the first time the Mountaineers have made the trip to Stillwater this season. Last season at the National Championship, then-redshirt sophomore Ceili McCabe took third-place with a 6k time of 19:29.5.
McCabe’s effort in the National Championship last year stands as her personal-best 6k performance and the best finish by a WVU runner at the National Championship in program history.
It also earned her All-American honors.
The previous best finish by a Mountaineer at the national meet came in 2011, when Kate Harrison took home eighth for WVU.
McCabe will be on the line with redshirt junior Katherine Dowie, sixth-year senior Mikaela Lucki, redshirt junior Jeanne Reix Charat, redshirt senior Mikenna Vanderheyden, redshirt senior Charlotte Wood and redshirt sophomore Abbey Yuhasz.
McCabe and Yuhasz earned Big 12 Runner of the Week honors earlier in the campaign.
West Virginia earned 21st-place at the National Championship last season, improving on their 29th-place finish to conclude the 2020 campaign.
Saturday’s race signifies the third consecutive year WVU has qualified for the national meet.
The Mountaineers have not qualified for the NCAA National Championship three years running since they made five consecutive appearances between 2007-2011.
West Virginia is coming off a second-place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in State College, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 11 that earned the Mountaineers an automatic bid to the National Championship.
It was a historic day for WVU, as McCabe took first for the second consecutive year, becoming the first WVU runner to accomplish the feat.
West Virginia also earned four All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors, as McCabe, Wood, Lucki and Dowie all finished in the top-25.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Neal Brown’s future as West Virginia’s football coach beyond the 2022 season will be decided by a new director of athletics.
It was announced Monday that Shane Lyons, who had served as WVU’s A.D. since 2015, had been relieved of his duties.
“I’m hurting for Shane and his family,†stated Brown. “Shane is a strong administrator, but he’s an even better guy. He’s a good man, and I think that’s very important to note. I think people forget that behind the titles and the decisions are real people with real families. He and his wife Emily and their two kids, they served this University and served it well. I wanted everyone to know we are thinking about him.
“I’m appreciative of the opportunity that he gave me to come here,†added Brown, who was hired by WVU in 2019. “We’re going to continue to fight and get better and win as many games as possible and do it the right way, which is what he would want.â€
West Virginia’s interim athletic director Rob Alsop, who serves as the University’s vice president for strategic initiatives, said Brown’s fate is not linked to that of Lyons, but that still doesn’t stop speculation from swirling as to whether the Mountaineers’ fourth-year head coach will get an opportunity to be at WVU for a fifth season.
Brown stated he’s not looking past what’s directly in front of his ballclub, though, which features a difficult test this week against No. 19 Kansas State (7-3).
Slated to kick off Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mountaineer Field with a video stream via ESPN+, it will be Senior Day for West Virginia, as it’s WVU’s final home game of the season.
“My focus is just trying to get better today and go win a game Saturday against Kansas State,†explained the Mountaineers’ coach, whose team improved to 4-6 this past weekend after its 23-20 victory over Oklahoma.
“We did win that game, in case anybody forgot,†Brown chuckled. “We have another huge challenge this week. They are physical, and that really stands out when you turn on the film. That’s across both lines of scrimmage.â€
Garrett Greene provided a spark off the bench to propel the Mountaineers to their first-ever triumph over Oklahoma since joining the Big 12.
The sophomore quarterback replaced starter J.T. Daniels and rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns while completing 12 of 22 passes for another 138 through the air to lead West Virginia’s comeback effort.
Greene’s performance last Saturday, which earned him the Big 12’s co-offensive player of the week honor, leads to the question as to what his role will be this coming Saturday.
“I probably won’t name (a starter), but I will say this — Garrett earned the opportunity to play more,†explained Brown. “We’ll get both those guys (Greene and Daniels) ready, and we’ll get Nicco (Marchiol) more (practice) snaps, too. He’s got some games he can play now (and still stay within the four-game limit to redshirt). We’ve been getting him some reps as well, and I’m impressed with how much better he’s getting. But Garrett has earned the opportunity to play more.â€
A highly-regarded true freshman, Marchiol has played in one game so far this season, so his redshirt status wouldn’t be impacted if he plays in either or both of WVU’s remaining regular-season games.
“Potentially,†Brown answered when asked if Marchiol would see game action in the coming contest(s). “I’m not saying (yes or no). We’ve been getting him reps, because I want to get him ready.â€
* * * * * *
West Virginia’s award winners from its victory over Oklahoma included:
Special Teams — Sam James
Defense — Jasir Cox
Offense — Garrett Greene
Offensive Line — Wyatt Milum
Blue Collar — Treylan Davis, Exree Loe and Malachi Ruffin
Juice Award — Sullivan Weidman and Ronan Swope
Scout Team — Marquan Rucker, Keaton Thomas and Tyler Evans
After earning first place at the 2022 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Cross Country Championships, in State College, Pennsylvania, last week with a 6k time of 19:58.3, redshirt junior Ceili McCabe of the cross country team has been named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week.
McCabe became the first Mountaineer to win back-to-back individual NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional titles after also winning an individual regional title in 2021. The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, native has blown by the competition this season, finishing first in every race she has competed in.
The cross country team also had a historic day, earning an NCAA bid for coach Sean Cleary. The Mountaineers continue the 2022 postseason campaign at the NCAA National Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday, Nov. 19.
This Week in Women’s Soccer: The Mountaineers prepare for a rematch with No. 2-seed Penn State in the NCAA Tournament Second Round … the squad travels to University Park, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Nov. 18, to take on the Nittany Lions for the second time this season … second-round action against PSU is set for at 4:30 p.m. ET, at PSU’s Jeffrey Field.
Last Week in Women’s Soccer: No. 7-seed WVU advanced to the Second Round of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament after earning a 2-0 win over Virginia Tech on Nov. 13, in Morgantown … behind sophomore forward Aria Bilal’s first career goal in the 49th minute, the Mountaineers used a pair of second-half goals to top the visiting Hokies and advance to the round of 32 … junior midfielder Isabel Loza double the lead with the first tally of her career in the 81st minute … in the final box score, West Virginia led VT in shots (11-9), shots on goal (8-2) and corner kicks (6-3).
Notes: WVU is now on a six-game win streak and extends its unbeaten streak to eight consecutive matches … senior goalkeeper Kayza Massey and the Mountaineer defense recorded their 10th shutout of the season against Virginia Tech, including their third in a row … West Virginia improves to 24-19-5 all time in the NCAA Tournament and is set to make its 16th appearance in the second round … Massey ranks No. 4 nationally in goalie minutes played (2000.0) and No. 13 nationally with 10 shutouts on the year … WVU and PSU are set to meet for the second time this season on Friday, with the Nittany Lions claiming the first meeting, 2-0.
This Week in Men’s Soccer: West Virginia’s 2022 season has been completed.
Last Week in Men’s Soccer: The Mountaineers fell at No. 2 Kentucky, 3-0, in the Sun Belt Championship Semifinals on Nov. 9, at the Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Kentucky.
Notes: WVU finishes the fall with a 7-7-4 mark, including 3-1-4 in Sun Belt action … senior midfielder Luke McCormick and redshirt junior defender Bjarne Thiesen earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors, while junior midfielder Ryan Baer and freshman forward Marcus Caldeira were placed on the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team.
This Week in Volleyball: West Virginia returns home to play TCU at the WVU Coliseum on Wednesday, Nov. 16 … first serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET … Wednesday is Dollar Night and Weeknight Happy Hour at the Coliseum … the Mountaineers head back out on the road, as they travel to Lubbock, Texas, to take on the Red Raiders on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. … both matches are streaming on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Last Week in Volleyball: WVU (7-19, 0-13 Big 12) continued the 2022 campaign when it faced off against Kansas State on Nov. 10, at Ahearn Field House … the Mountaineers fell to the Wildcats in the third set … junior libero Skye Stokes led West Virginia with 13 digs … Thursday’s match marked the 17th double-digit digs performance of the season and the 41st of Stokes’ career … WVU stayed in the sunflower state to take on Kansas on Nov. 12 … West Virginia lost in three sets, tallying 26 kills and 30 digs.
Notes: the Mountaineers rank second in the Big 12 in opponent kills per set (11.68) … the Mountaineers also sit third in opponent service aces per set with, 1.21, and opponent assists per set (10.91) … through 26 matches, Stokes is fifth in the Big 12 with 3.91 digs per set and seventh with 0.34 service aces per set … redshirt freshman setter Kamiah Gibson ranks eighth in the Big 12 in assists per set with 6.36.
This Week in Swimming & Diving: The Mountaineers return to action on Nov. 17-19 as they host their annual WVU Invitational at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park, in Morgantown, West Virginia ... prelim competition begins at 10 a.m. ET, with finals slated for 6 p.m. each day ... the Mountaineers welcome Colgate, Drexel, East Carolina (Women), Old Dominion, Seton Hall and Villanova all into the competition pool, while Alabama, Duquesne, James Madison, Liberty, Navy and Toledo will only compete in the diving well.
Last Week in Swimming & Diving: West Virginia was off last week.
Notes: WVU has three divers that have qualified for NCAA Zones, including seniors Owen Johns (1-meter, 3-meter) and Marian Tiemeier (1-meter), and sophomore Glenn Eloriaga (platform) ... Mullen, Cheatwood and sophomore diver Sarah Krusinski all earned Big 12 weekly honors on Wednesday, Oct. 19, following their respective performances at the 2022 West Virginia State Games ... following the WVU Invite, the Mountaineers will send qualifying swimmers to the Toyota U.S. Open in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Nov. 30-Dec. 3.
This Week in Rifle: No. 3 West Virginia (9-1, 4-0 GARC) concludes its fall season on Friday, Nov. 18, when the Mountaineers welcome NC State to Morgantown … Friday’s match against the Wolfpack is set for 9 a.m. ET, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building in Morgantown.
Last Week in Rifle: The Mountaineers defeated No. 14 Army, 4725-4649, on Nov. 12, at the Tronsrue Marksmanship Center in West Point, New York … West Virginia claimed both match disciplines, with a 2347 in smallbore and a 2378 in air rifle … Army shot a 2307 in smallbore and a 2342 in air rifle … the Mountaineers claimed the top nine spots on the individual leaderboard … WVU was led by junior Matt Sanchez, who tied his career high in aggregate score (1183) and set a new career high in smallbore (588) … the Tampa, Florida, native also finished with a 595 in air rifle.
Notes: West Virginia is 22-0 all-time against NC State, with the series beginning in 1959 … last season, the Mountaineers defeated then-No. 11 NC State, 4730-4652, on Oct. 17, 2021, in Raleigh, North Carolina … WVU ranks No. 4 nationally in aggregate average (4720.334) … additionally, the Mountaineers are No. 3 in the nation in air rifle average (2380.167) and are No. 4 in smallbore average (2340.167) … senior Mary Tucker continues to lead the squad in aggregate average (1187.333), smallbore average (590) and air rifle average (597.333) … the Sarasota, Florida, native is No. 2 nationally in aggregate average, No. 3 in air rifle average and No. 7 in smallbore average.
This Week in Cross Country: No. 29 WVU continues its 2022 postseason campaign with the NCAA Championship hosted by Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday, Nov. 19 … the women’s 6k begins at 10:20 a.m. ET… the meet takes place at Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course.
Last Week in Cross Country: West Virginia took second at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in State College, Pennsylvania on Nov. 11, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship in the process … Ceili McCabe earned the individual title at the regional for the second consecutive year, becoming the first Mountaineer to garner the honor twice.
Notes: McCabe has won all four races she has competed in this season and is the first WVU runner to win the individual regional title since Megan Metcalfe in 2002 … four Mountaineers finished in the top-25 to earn All-Mid-Atlantic Regional honors … Friday’s meet marks the 14th time that WVY has qualified for the NCAA National Championship under coach Sean Cleary … redshirt senior Charlotte Wood earned a new career best 6k time on Friday with a time of 20:26.4 … McCabe, sixth-year senior Mikaela Lucki and redshirt junior Katherine Dowie earned All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors for back-to-back years, while Wood took home the award for the first time.
This Week in Women’s Basketball: WVU (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) welcomes two more nonconference opponents to Morgantown this week … West Virginia opens the week on Thursday, Nov. 17, when the Mountaineers welcome Winthrop to the WVU Coliseum for ‘Education Day’ … tipoff against the Eagles is set for 10 a.m. ET … the Mountaineers wrap up the week on Sunday, Nov. 20, when they play host to Appalachian State … tipoff against ASU is set for 1 p.m. … Sunday’s contest against the Mountaineers is WVU’s ‘Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer’ game, with the first 500 fans receiving gold rally towels … both games will be broadcast on Big 12 Now and the Mountaineer Sports Network.
Last Week in Women’s Basketball: West Virginia opened its season with an 81-31 win over USC Upstate on Nov. 10, at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown … the victory marked was the first of coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s tenure … the Mountaineers led by as many as 55 points against USC Upstate and never trailed in the contest … defensively, the Mountaineers forced 41 turnovers, the most in a game since Nov. 20, 2011, against North Carolina Central (42), and converted 48 points off those chances … the 31 points by the Spartans marked the fourth time West Virginia has held its opposition to 31 points or less since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2012-13 … West Virginia’s offensive attack was led by a pair of double-figure scorers, including sophomore guard JJ Quinerly, who tallied a game-high 19 points … fifth-year senior guard Madisen Smith also chipped in 11 points … redshirt sophomore guard Kyah Watson led WVU in the rebounding, with seven boards.
Notes: Thursday’s game against USC Upstate marked the fifth time in program history in which WVU has turned its opponents over 40 or more times … the Mountaineers also tallied 20 steals in the USC Upstate game, and five players finished the contest with multiple steals … West Virginia and Winthrop meet for the first time on Thursday … WVU is 18-0 against current members of the Big South Conference, including 1-0 this season … additionally, West Virginia is 1-0 all-time against Appalachian State … WVU and App State last met on Dec. 28, 2012, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown … West Virginia took the first matchup by a score of 72-67 … West Virginia currently leads the Big 12 Conference in offensive rebounds per game (22.0), scoring defense (31.0), scoring margin (50.0), steals per game (20.0), turnover margin (29.00) and turnovers forced per game (41.00).
This Week in Wrestling: The Mountaineers return to Morgantown for their home opener on Sunday, Nov. 20, as they welcome Glenville State, Edinboro, and Big 12 foe Northern Colorado into the WVU Coliseum to compete in the Mountaineer Quad … start time for the event is set for 5 p.m. ET.
Last Week in Wrestling: West Virginia claimed nine top-four finishes at the 13th annual Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open on Nov. 13 … junior Peyton Hall led the team by winning the 165-pound title … No. 7-ranked Hall matched up with No. 10 Julian Ramirez of Cornell in the finals and the 2022 All-American didn’t allow Ramirez to make it out of the first period … he gained control of Ramirez’s left leg and eventually used his leverage to cover him for the fall in 1:59 … 197 pound redshirt sophomore Austin Cooley, ranked in the top 30, earned his second runner-up finish in consecutive tournaments after capturing a runner-up finish in his Gold and Blue debut last weekend at the Southeast Open … redshirt senior Alex Hornfeck added a runner-up finish at 157 pounds to round out the trio of finalists … junior Sam Hillegas (149) and redshirt junior Michael Wolfgram (HWT) put together a pair of third-place performances, while sophomore Michael Dolan (141), junior Jack Blumer (165), and redshirt junior Anthony Carman (184) took fourth in their respective weight classes … junior Dennis Robin captured third place while competing unattached at 184 pounds as well.
Notes: WVU remains steady in the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches poll with seven votes … West Virginia had six Mountaineers ranked in the second addition of FloWrestling’s weekly rankings … wrestlers included were No. 9 Killian Cardinale at 125 pounds, No. 20 Hillegas at 149 pounds, No. 7 Hall at 165 pounds, No. 16 Carman at 184 pounds, Honorable Mention Cooley at 197 pounds, and No. 17 Wolfgram at heavyweight … this marked the first time the program has had six wrestlers ranked nationally at the same time since 2012, when No. 23 Shane Young (125), No. 25 Nathan Pennesi (133), No. 29 Michael Morales (144), No. 21 Lance Bryson (174), No. 16 Matt Ryan (184) and No. 17 Brandon Williamson (HWT) made the list ahead of the postseason (EWL and NCAAs).
After securing its fifth all-time Big 12 Tournament title, the West Virginia University women’s soccer team has been named the WVU Student-Athletes of the Week.
The No. 4-seeded Mountaineers earned their 10th overall Big 12 title with a win over No. 2-seed TCU in the Big 12 Championship final in Round Rock, Texas, on Nov. 6. Overall, coach Nikki Izzo-Brown has led West Virginia to 18 conference championships in 27 seasons as the program’s only head coach.
WVU’s conference title is its first since 2018, while West Virginia now boasts five regular-season and five championship Big 12 Conference titles. Of note, the Mountaineers are undefeated all-time in the Big 12 Championship Final, with five appearances and five victories since joining the conference in 2012.
Fifth-year senior defender Jordan Brewster’s incredible, game-winning goal in the 93rd minute was the difference maker, as she took a free kick from more than 90 yards out and sent it past the awaiting players and the TCU keeper to give WVU the go-ahead score. The goal was Brewster’s second game winner of the championship, as she was voted the tournament’s Defensive Most Ottstanding Player following the conclusion of the match. Classmate Lauren Segalla was honored as the Offensive Most Outstanding Player after she tallied a game-winning goal during the championship and scored in two of three tournament games.
After earning the Big 12 Conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament, the Mountaineers will find out their fate in the 2022 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament on Monday, Nov. 7, during the 2022 NCAA Selection Show.
This Week in Women’s Soccer: West Virginia now waits to find out its fate in the 2022 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament after earning the Big 12 Conference’s automatic bid ... the NCAA Selection Show airs on Monday, Nov. 7, at 4 p.m. ET, on NCAA.com.
Last Week in Women’s Soccer: The No. 4-seeded Mountaineers (10-4-7) earned their fifth Big 12 Tournament title with a 1-0 win over No. 2-seed TCU in the Big 12 Championship Final on Nov. 6, in Round Rock, Texas ... West Virginia earned the conference crown after a goal from fifth-year senior defender Jordan Brewster in the 93rd minute ... the North Canton, Ohio, native took a free kick from more than 90 yards out ... with the wind at her back, she sent a long, powerful ball that took a big bounce and went over the TCU keeper’s head for the go-ahead score ... with this year’s new overtime rules that eliminated the golden goal, the two teams played out the remainder of the two, 10-minute overtime periods, but TCU couldn’t find the equalizer as WVU walked away as the 2022 Big 12 Champions ... the Mountaineers earned their spot in the championship match after tallying a 1-0 win over No. 1-seed Texas in the semifinals on Nov. 3 ... fifth-year senior forward Lauren Segalla tallied the game-winning goal in the 44th minute, and the WVU defense held off the UT attack to give West Virginia a spot in the finals, eventually leading the squad to its 10th Big 12 Conference title.
Notes: WVU earned its 10th overall Big 12 title, including the first since 2018 ... West Virginia has now won four conference titles in the last six seasons, dating back to 2016, when it won the regular-season and tournament titles ... overall, coach Nikki Izzo-Brown has led West Virginia to 18 conference championships in 27 seasons as the program’s only head coach ... the Mountaineers are undefeated all time in the Big 12 Championship Final, with five appearances and five victories since joining the conference in 2012 ... following the conclusion of the championship game, Brewster was named the tournament’s Defensive Most Outstanding Player, while Segalla was recognized as the Offensive Most Outstanding Player ... Brewster earned WVU’s fifth defensive MVP nod all time, as she becomes the third different Mountaineer to garner the award … Segalla’s offensive MVP award also is the fifth for West Virginia all time, and she is the fourth different Mountaineer to receive the honor ... additionally, West Virginia’s all-time advantage over TCU moved to 10-3-3, including 3-1-1 in the Big 12 Tournament ... the win marked the second time WVU has topped the Horned Frogs in the championship game to win the Big 12 Tournament title.
This Week in Men’s Soccer: West Virginia takes on No. 2 Kentucky in the Sun Belt Championship Semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 9, in Lexington, Kentucky … kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Last Week in Men’s Soccer: The Mountaineers (7-6-4) earned a 1-0 win over Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Championship Quarterfinals on Nov. 6, in Lexington … freshman forward Marcus Caldeira scored the game-winning goal in the 70th minute … fifth-year senior forward Adam Burchell was credited with the assist … in goal, junior goalkeeper Jackson Lee made three saves, including a key denial in the 84th minute, to secure WVU’s sixth clean sheet of the season … the Mountaineers outshot the Chanticleers, 10-7.
Notes: With the win over CCU, WVU extended its current unbeaten streak to eight matches … Calderia’s goal was his fifth of the season, tied for the team lead, as well as his third game-winner … West Virginia improved to 4-1-2 all-time against Coastal and 20-17-3 in conference tournament action … the win also gave coach Dan Stratford his first conference tournament victory as the head coach at WVU … the Mountaineers and Wildcats previously played to a 3-3 draw on Oct. 15, in Morgantown … West Virginia is looking for its first-ever win over UK … the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal moves on to play the winner of the other semifinal matchup, featuring Georgia State and James Madison, on Sunday, Nov. 13, in the Sun Belt Championship Final at a site to be determined … the Mountaineers are 0-4-1 against ranked opponents this season … four of those five matchups against top-25 foes were played on the road … West Virginia has earned a win over a ranked opponent in 14 of the last 16 seasons.
This Week in Volleyball: West Virginia heads out on the road to play Kansas State at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan, Kansas on Thursday, Nov. 10 … first serve is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET … the Mountaineers then stay in the Sunflower State, as they travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Jayhawks on Saturday, Nov. 12 … both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
Last Week in Volleyball: WVU (7-17, 0-11 Big 12) continued its Big 12 Conference campaign against Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the WVU Coliseum … the Mountaineers fell to the Sooners in three sets … redshirt freshman setter Kamiah Gibson racked up 21 assists, while junior libero Skye Stokes notched 11 digs … West Virginia tallied 32 kills and 33 digs in the match.
Notes: West Virginia ranks third in the Big 12 in opponent assists per set (10.98) and opponent kills per set (11.74) … the Mountaineers also stand third in service aces per set with 1.44 and opponent service aces per set with 1.20 … through 24 matches, Junior libero Skye Stokes is fifth in the Big 12 with 3.96 digs per set and sixth with 0.35 service aces … fifth-year senior outside hitter Adrian Ell ranks 10th in the Big 12 in kills per set (2.92) … redshirt freshman Kamiah Gibson ranks eighth in the Big 12 in assists per set with 6.65.
This Week in Tennis: The Mountaineers return to action in January 2023 to open their spring slate.
Last Week in Tennis: WVU traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the 2022 Big 12 Fall Invitational hosted by Oklahoma State, on Nov. 4-6 ... West Virginia sent only one doubles pair and had four Mountaineers compete in singles play ... duo of junior Momoko Nagato and sophomore Michaela Kucharova fell, 6-3, to OSU’s Raquel Gonzalez and Alana Wolfberg on Friday’s opening round ... the pair went on to win, 6-4, against Kansas’ Jocelyn Massey and Carmen Roxana Manu in the first round of consolations, before dropping the match, 6-4, against Oklahoma’s Alexandra Pisareva and Romana Cisovska ... in singles play on Friday, junior Ting-Pei Chang, Kucharova and Nagato all suffered losses, while senior Pei-ju Hsieh defeated Texas Tech’s Camryn Stepp, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) ... the Changhua, Taiwain, native went 3-1 on the weekend ... during singles consolation and extra rounds, Kucharova went 2-1, Chang went 1-2, while Nagato had a 0-2 record over the fall invite weekend.
Notes: Sophomore Camilla Bossi and senior Ting-Pei Chang’s debuted tied for No. 37 on the ITA’s Preseason Doubles Rankings ... duo junior Momoko Nagato and sophomore Michaela Kucharova currently lead the Mountaineers in doubles with an 9-2 record ... Chang leads the team in singles (9-3) and overall record (16-6), while Nagato is a close second with 14-8.
This Week in Swimming & Diving: West Virginia is off this week ... the Mountaineers return to action on Nov. 17-19 as they host their annual WVU Invitational at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park, in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Last Week in Swimming & Diving: WVU (1-1, 0-0 Big 12) traveled to University Park, Pennsylvania on Nov. 4-5 for its second dual meet of the 2022-23 season ... both squads fell to the Nittany Lions over the weekend ... the women dropped the meet, 208-92, on Friday night, before the men suffered a, 200.5-96.5, loss on Saturday ... the Mountaineer women tallied three wins, including two victories from freshman Mia Cheatwood ... the Bowling Green, Ohio, native won both the 100-yard (1:02.41) and 200 breaststroke (2:17.92) ... classmate Olivia Busch rounded out the wins during the women’s meet, touching first in the 1000 freestyle (10:15.88) ... WVU had a trio of second-place finishes, including sophomore Miranda Kirtley in the 1000 free (10.18.08), freshman Gabriela Martin in the 200 free (1:50.79) and junior Abby Reardon in the 500 free (4:56.07) ... during the men’s competition on Saturday, sophomore Conner McBeth was the West Virginia’s lone win ... the New Castle, Pa., native swam a 44.74 in the 100 free to take first ... the Mountaineer men saw seven second-place finishes, including juniors William Mullen in the 1000 free (9:23.25), Roanoke Shirk in the 200 free (1:41.39) and Justin Heimes in the 100 backstroke (49.71), freshman Alvaro Santiago in the 200 butterfly (1:51.38) and seniors David Snider in the 100 fly (49.47) and diver Owen Johns on both 1-meter (294.98) and 3-meter (342.68).
Notes: WVU has three divers that have qualified for NCAA Zones, including seniors Owen Johns (1-meter, 3-meter) and Marian Tiemeier (1-meter), and sophomore Glenn Eloriaga (platform) ... Mullen, Cheatwood and sophomore diver Sarah Krusinski all earned Big 12 weekly honors on Wednesday, Oct. 19, following their respective performances at the 2022 West Virginia State Games ... following the WVU Invite, the Mountaineers will send qualifying swimmers to the Toyota U.S. Open in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Nov. 30-Dec. 3.
This Week in Rifle: No. 6 West Virginia (8-1, 3-0 GARC) embarks on its final road trip of the fall 2022 semester, as the team travels to West Point, New York, to square off against Army on Saturday, Nov. 12 … the match is schedule for 9 a.m. ET, and will be held at the Tronsrue Marksmanship Center in West Point.
Last Week in Rifle: The Mountaineers hosted the inaugural WVU Fall Classic from Nov. 5-6, at the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building in Morgantown … WVU shot a 4733 as a team, including a match-best 2382 in air rifle on Sunday, to place second at the event … West Virginia also shot a 2351 in smallbore … the Mountaineers finished just four points shy of No. 3 TCU, who claimed the top spot with a team score of 4737 … of note, WVU’s 4733 as a team was good enough for the team’s highest score inside the Shell Building since the Bill McKenzie Rifle Range opened in the spring of 2018 … West Virginia was led by junior Tal Engler, who tallied team bests in aggregate (1188), smallbore (590) and air rifle score (598) … the Tzur Yigal, Israel, native tied her career high in aggregate score and finished with the No. 2 combined score at the event.
Notes: West Virginia is 42-10 all-time against Army and has won the last 14 matchups with the Black Knights, dating back to the 2009 campaign … last season, the Mountaineers defeated Army twice – once on Nov. 13, 2021 (4711-4659), and in a tri-match with Air Force and Ohio State on Nov. 14, 2021 (4724-4653) … WVU ranks No. 4 nationally in aggregate average (4719.4) … additionally, the Mountaineers are No. 2 in the nation in air rifle average (2380.6) and are No. 4 in smallbore average (2338.8) … senior Mary Tucker continues to lead the squad in aggregate average (1187.333), smallbore average (590) and air rifle average (597.333) … the Sarasota, Florida, native is tied No. 2 nationally in air rifle average and is No. 3 in aggregate average … she also is tied for No. 6 in the country in smallbore average.
This Week in Cross Country: West Virginia continues the 2022 campaign with the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional hosted by Penn State University in State College, Pa. on Friday, Nov. 11 … the women’s 6k begins at 11 a.m. ET … the meet takes place at Penn State’s Blue and White Golf Course.
Last Week in Cross Country: WVU was off last week.
Notes: McCabe became the first WVU runner to win the Big 12 Individual title in 2021 and is not the only Mountaineer to take the trophy twice … the team also set a record with five Mountaineers earning All-Big 12 honors after each finished in the top-15, and when scoring a program record for lowest point total at the Big 12 Championships with 49.
This Week in Women’s Basketball: West Virginia officially opens its 2022-23 season on Thursday, Nov. 10, when the Mountaineers play host to USC Upstate at the WVU Coliseum … tipoff against the Spartans is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now, with Nick Farrell and Warren Baker on the call … Thursday is WVU’s Veterans Day Game … the first 250 fans in attendance will receive a Veterans Day-themed hat … additionally, fans can pick up a copy of the 2022-23 WVU women’s basketball schedule poster and a poster to commemorate coach Dawn Plitzuweit … redshirt sophomore guard Kyah Watson will be available for postgame autographs.
Last Week in Women’s Basketball: The Mountaineers were off last week.
Notes: West Virginia returns seven players from last year’s squad, including Smith, who is in her fifth season with the Mountaineers … additionally, six newcomers join the team this year to make up WVU’s 13-woman squad … Smith and Quinerly were honorable mention selections on this year’s Preseason All-Big 12 Team … a native of Greenville, South Carolina, Smith has played in 112 games, including a team-best 107 starts, in her career … during her first four seasons at WVU, she has amassed 885 points, 429 assists, 255 rebounds and 125 steals … she also has finished in double figures 37 times in four years … in all-time program history, Smith is No. 10 in assists and is tied for No. 10 in starts … she also ranks in the top 15 in program history in minutes played and is the only Mountaineer with multiple 50-minute games in their career … a native of Norfolk, Virginia, Quinerly averaged 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 2021-22 … she was one of four Mountaineers to play in all 30 games, earning 12 starts, a year ago … she also racked up a team-high 68 steals a season ago, the most by a Mountaineer freshman since Maria Tchobanova tallied 74 during the 1995-96 season.
This Week in Wrestling: The Mountaineers travel to compete at the 13th annual Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open, hosted by Binghamton University, on Sunday, Nov. 13. The event is set to begin at 9:30 a.m., ET, inside the Events Center in Vestal, New York.
Last Week in Wrestling: The West Virginia University wresting team captured three individual titles to close out its season opener at the 2022 Southeast Open on Saturday … redshirt junior Anthony Carman, ranked in FloWrestling’s top 30 at 184 pounds, scored a 7-3 decision over Virginia Tech’s Samuel Fisher to win the tournament crown after Fisher knocked off No. 10 Gavin Kane of North Carolina, 2-1 … he recorded a 4-0 record and outscored his opponents 45-8 … sophomore Michael Dolan (141) and freshman Brody Conley (174) came out on top of their respective weight classes after both went 5-0 in the sophomore/freshman division … twelve other Mountaineers claimed a spot in the top six of their respective weight classes … redshirt junior Michael Wolfgram (HWT), juniors Caleb Dowling (157) and newcomer Sam Hillegas (149), and redshirt sophomore Austin Cooley (197) were runners-up, redshirt senior Alex Hornfeck (157) claimed third, junior Peyton Hall (165) defaulted to fourth, sophomore Nathan Wickersham (197) placed fifth, redshirt freshman Jace Schafer (125) came in sixth … sophomore newcomer Dylan Kohn at 174 pounds (fifth) and sophomore Tristan Kemp at heavyweight (sixth) secured spots competing unattached … Brayden Ivy (149) and Brian Finnerty (184) joined Conley in making their collegiate debuts … both earned second place finishes in the sophomore/freshman division … freshmen Nick Cicciarelli (157) and Leonardo Muzika (HWT) also made their first appearances wrestling in the Gold and Blue.
Notes: West Virginia received seven votes in the first NWCA Division I Preseason Wrestling Coaches’ poll … the Mountaineers return seven starters from a season ago ... for the third straight year, WVU has signed one of the nation’s top prospects according to FloWrestling … freshman Brody Conley ranked No. 19 in the class of 2022, as he followed in the footsteps of redshirt freshman Jordan Titus (No. 25 – 2021) and junior Peyton Hall (No. 31 – 2020) … National Signing Day is this Wednesday, Nov. 9, as the Mountaineers set out to sign more national prospects.
After a first-place finish in the women’s 6k (20:08.4) at the 2022 Big 12 Cross Country Championship, redshirt junior Ceili McCabe of the West Virginia University’s cross country team has been named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by University Apartments.
McCabe became the first Mountaineer to win back-to-back individual Big 12 titles after becoming the first WVU runner to in the Big 12 individual title. The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, native has blown by the competition this season, finishing first in every race she has competed in.
The cross country team also had a historic day. Five Mountaineers finished in the top-15 to garner All-Big 12 honors, eclipsing a program record in the process. The squad also set a new low-point total at the Big 12 Conference Championships with 49, breaking the record 58 set in 2014.
This Week in Women’s Soccer: The Mountaineers continue competition at the 2022 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship, as they prepare to face No. 1-seed Texas on Thursday, Nov. 3 … action at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex is tabbed for 5:30 p.m. ET, in Round Rock, Texas.
Last Week in Women’s Soccer: West Virginia wrapped up regular-season play with a 1-0 over Kansas State on Oct. 27, before opening the postseason with a 2-1 victory over Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship on Oct. 30 … in the first match of the week, the Mountaineers used a set-piece goal from senior forward/defender Julianne Vallerand in the 74th minute to top the visiting Wildcats … fifth-year senior defender Jordan Brewster was credited with the assist … the final stats showed the Mountaineers leading KSU, 11-7, in shots, including 4-1 in shots on goal … in WVU’s opening game of the Big 12 Championship, West Virginia used a 65th-minute header goal off a corner kick from fifth-year senior Lauren Segalla to take the lead, as well as a game-winning penalty kick from Brewster in the 84th minute to double it … the Cowgirls earned one back with a goal in the 85th minute, but the Mountaineers took the match, 2-1, to advance to the semifinals … sophomore forward Dilary Heredia-Beltran was credited with the assist on Segalla’s goal … in the final box score, WVU out-shot Oklahoma State, 11-4, and topped the Cowgirls in shots on goal, 7-3 … the two teams took six corner kicks apiece.
Notes: Vallerand’s goal against K-State was her second of the season as well as the 14th of her career, while Brewster’s assist marked her first of the season and 11th of her career … Brewster made her 96th career start in the season finale on Oct. 27, surpassing Sh’Nia Gordon (2015-18) for the most career starts in program history … the North Canton, Ohio, native has now started all 97 matches for which she has been available and has amassed 8,869 career minutes over her five-year career … Heredia-Beltran’s assist on Oct. 30, was her team-leading seventh of the season, as the Mountaineers scored their sixth goal off a corner kick this year … West Virginia advanced to the Big 12 Semifinals for the second consecutive year and are set to make their eighth appearance all time … Heredia-Beltran ranks third in the Big 12 in assists (7) and assists per game (0.39), while senior goalkeeper Kayza Massey is tied for third in the league in shutouts (7) and shutouts per game (0.37).
This Week in Men’s Soccer: The Mountaineers await the Sun Belt Championship, which begins on Sunday, Nov. 6, at a site to be determined … WVU’s quarterfinal opponent also is TBD.
Last Week in Men’s Soccer: West Virginia (6-6-4, 3-1-4 Sun Belt) capped the regular season with a 3-1 win at Georgia Southern on Oct. 28, in Statesboro, Georgia … redshirt junior midfielder/defender Sergio Ors Navarro scored the game-winner in the 44th minute, while redshirt senior midfielder/defender Dyon Dromers (28th) and fifth-year senior forward Adam Burchell (60th) also found the back of the net for WVU … the Mountaineers outshot the Eagles, 10-8, including 6-2 in the second half … Ors Navarro’s goal came just 59 seconds after the hosts tied the match at 1.
Notes: WVU finished with 13 points in Sun Belt play this fall … the squad currently sits in second place in the conference standings … with last week’s win, West Virginia improved to 2-0 all-time against Georgia Southern … Dromers’ goal was his fourth in the month of October, while Burchell tallied his third goal of the month … additionally, junior forward Yutaro Tsukada has now recorded an assist in six of the last seven matches … the Mountaineers have scored 17 goals in their last six matches … West Virginia enters the Sun Belt Championship with an all-time mark of 31-18-9 against league foes … WVU is unbeaten in seven straight matches, going 4-0-3 in that span.
This Week in Volleyball: West Virginia welcomes Oklahoma to the WVU Coliseum on Saturday, Nov. 5 … first serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on ESPN+ … Saturday also is Mountaineer Kid’s Club Day and t-shirt pickup, a t-shirt giveaway and youth clinic day.
Last Week in Volleyball: WVU (7-16, 0-10 Big 12) continued its Big 12 Conference campaign when it took on Iowa State on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the WVU Coliseum … the Mountaineers fell to the Cyclones in set three … fifth-year senior outside hitter Adrian Ell led the squad with 13 kills, while also tallying seven assists and nine digs … redshirt freshman setter Kamiah Gibson racked up 21 assists, while junior libero Skye Stokes notched 16 digs … West Virginia then travelled to Waco, Texas, to face No. 13 Baylor … freshman outside hitter Bailey Miller tallied eight kills … Stokes dug eight digs and Gibson led WVU with eight assists.
Notes: West Virginia ranks second in the Big 12 in opponent assists per set (10.89) and opponent kills per set (11.65) … the Mountaineers also rank third in service aces per set with 1.19 … through 23 matches, Stokes is fifth in the conference with 4.03 digs per set … Ell ranks ninth in the Big 12 in points per set (3.61), while Gibson ranks eighth in assists per set with 6.78.
This Week in Tennis: The Mountaineers return to action on Nov. 4-6 as they look to close their fall slate at the 2022 Fall Big 12 Individual Championships, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Last Week in Tennis: WVU was off last week.
Notes: Sophomore Camilla Bossi and senior Ting-Pei Chang’s debuted tied for No. 37 on the ITA’s Preseason Doubles Rankings ... duo junior Momoko Nagato and sophomore Michaela Kucharova currently lead the Mountaineers in doubles with an 8-0 record, while Kucharova is currently undefeated in doubles play (9-0) ... Chang leads the team in singles (8-1) and overall record (15-4), while Nagato is a close second with 12-6.
This Week in Swimming & Diving: WVU travels to State College, Pennsylvania for its second dual meet of the season against Penn State on Nov. 4-5 ... the women’s squad will compete on Friday, Nov. 4, and action is set for 5 p.m. ET ... the men conclude the dual meet on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 11 a.m.
Last Week in Swimming & Diving: The Mountaineers were off last week.
Notes: Both squads sit at a 1-0 record on the season as they head into this weekends dual meet against PSU ... WVU now has three divers that have qualified for NCAA Zones, including Johns (1-meter, 3-meter), Tiemeier (1-meter) and sophomore Glenn Eloriaga (platform) ... Mullen, Cheatwood and Krusinski were all earned Big 12 weekly honors on Wednesday, Oct. 19, following their respective performances at the 2022 West Virginia State Games ... following the matchup against the Nittany Lions, West Virginia plays host to the annual WVU Invitational on Nov. 17-19, at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park.
This Week in Rifle: West Virginia returns to the range from Nov. 5-6, as the team plays host to Alaska-Fairbanks, TCU and Kentucky for the inaugural WVU Fall Classic … the event will be held at the Bill McKenzie Rifle range inside the WVU Shell Building in Morgantown … the WVU Fall Classic is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET, each day.
Last Week in Rifle: The Mountaineers were off last week.
Notes: WVU currently ranks No. 3 nationally in aggregate average (4716.00) … additionally, the Mountaineers are No. 2 in the nation in air rifle average (2380.25) and are No. 4 in smallbore average (2335.75) … senior Mary Tucker continues to lead the squad in aggregate average (1188.5), smallbore average (590.5) and air rifle average (598) … the Sarasota, Florida, native ranks No. 3 nationally in aggregate score, No. 4 in air rifle score and No. 7 in smallbore score.
This Week in Cross Country: West Virginia continues the 2022 campaign with the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional hosted by Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania … the women’s 6k begins at 11 a.m. ET… the meet takes place at Penn State’s Blue and White Golf Course.
Last Week in Cross Country: WVU took second at the Big 12 Conference Championships with 49 points … redshirt junior Ceili McCabe led the way for the Mountaineers, finishing first in a time of 20:08.4 and becoming the first Mountaineer to win back-to-back individual Big 12 titles … sixth-year senior Mikaela Lucki followed McCabe with a time of 21:10.8, earning 10th place… redshirt senior Charlotte Wood finished 11th with a time of 21:14.4 … redshirt senior Jeanna Reix Charat kept the momentum going with a time of 21:26.1 and a 13th-place finish … additionally, redshirt junior Katherine Dowie crossed the finish line with a time of 21:30.4 in 14th and round out the top-five for WVU … West Virginia was one of 10 schools racing in the women’s 6k, with a total of 83 runners.
Notes: McCabe became the first WVU runner to win the Big 12 Individual title in 2021 … nine Mountaineers competed in Friday’s meet … the team also set a record with five Mountaineers earning All-Big 12 honors after each finished in the top-15 … Friday marked a program record for lowest point total at the Big 12 Championships and eclipsed the previous low point total of 58 in 2014 … Lucki, Wood, Dowie and McCabe all earned All-Big 12 honors for the second time in their career.
This Week in Golf: The Mountaineers concluded their fall season and will resume competition on Jan. 30 at the Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson, Arizona.
Last Week in Golf: Junior Jackson Davenport finished tied for seventh place at the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational at Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Windermere, Florida … Davenport, a native of Austin, Texas, shot 5-under-par with rounds of 69-70-72=211. Junior Will Stakel (76-74-76=226) and freshman Kaleb Wilson (72-71-83=226) tied for 44th place at 10-over-par … senior Trent Tipton posted rounds of 75-77-76=228 (+12), and sophomore Todd Duncan finished with rounds of 82-83-76=241 … sophomore Max Green competed as an individual and finished with rounds of 77-80-81=238 … as a team, the Mountaineers finished in 11th place with rounds of 292-292-300=884 (+20).
This Week in Women’s Basketball: West Virginia is off this week … WVU officially opens its 2022-23 season on Thursday, Nov. 10, when the Mountaineers play host to USC Upstate at the WVU Coliseum … tipoff against the Spartans is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now.
Last Week in Women’s Basketball: The Mountaineers defeated Fairmont State, 83-49, in their annual ‘Haunted Hoops’ exhibition on Oct. 30, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown … West Virginia led by as many as 36 points in the game and never trailed … what’s more, West Virginia forced 30 Fairmont State turnovers, converting 35 points off those chances, and tallied 40 points in the paint … WVU’s scoring attack was led by a trio of double-digit scorers, including senior guard Jayla Hemingway, who finished the game with a game-high 14 points … she was joined in double figures by fifth-year senior guard Madisen Smith (13 points) and sophomore guard JJ Quinerly (12 points) .. in the rebounding column, five Mountaineers hauled in at least four rebounds in the contest … junior guard Savannah Samuel led WVU with five rebounds.
Notes: West Virginia returns seven players from last year’s squad, including Smith, who is in her fifth season with the Mountaineers … additionally, six newcomers join the team this year to make up WVU’s 13-woman squad … Smith and Quinerly were honorable mention selections on this year’s Preseason All-Big 12 Team … a native of Greenville, South Carolina, Smith has played in 112 games, including a team-best 107 starts, in her career … during her first four seasons at WVU, she has amassed 885 points, 429 assists, 255 rebounds and 125 steals … she also has finished in double figures 37 times in four years … in all-time program history, Smith is No. 10 in assists and is tied for No. 10 in starts … she also ranks in the top 15 in program history in minutes played and is the only Mountaineer with multiple 50-minute games in their career … a native of Norfolk, Virginia, Quinerly averaged 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 2021-22 … she was one of four Mountaineers to play in all 30 games, earning 12 starts, a year ago … she also racked up a team-high 68 steals a season ago, the most by a Mountaineer freshman since Maria Tchobanova tallied 74 during the 1995-96 season.
This Week in Wrestling: WVU officially opens its season in Salem, Virginia, to compete at the 13th annual Southeast Open on Saturday, Nov. 5 ... action takes place inside the Cregger Center on the campus of Roanoke College and is set to begin at 10 a.m. ET, and will be broadcast on FloWrestling.
Last Week in Wrestling: The West Virginia University wrestling team concluded its annual Wrestle-Offs over the weekend.
Notes: West Virginia received seven votes in the first NWCA Division I Preseason Wrestling Coaches’ poll … WVU joined eight other Big 12 programs that earned rankings or votes, including No. 4 Missouri, No. 10 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Iowa State, No. 20 Northern Iowa, No. 25 South Dakota State, Wyoming (21 votes), North Dakota State (8 votes), and Oklahoma (2 votes) … the Mountaineers return seven starters from a season ago and will begin the 2022-23 season with five mountaineers ranked nationally at their respective weight classes, including 2022 Big 12 champion and 2021 All-American Killian Cardinale and 2022 All-American Peyton Hall … the 165-pound Hall checks in at No. 8 of both FloWrestling and InterMat publications, while Cardinale ranks as high as No. 8 by InterMat and appears at No. 9, according to FloWrestling at 125 pounds … joining Cardinale and Hall in both rankings is redshirt junior Michael Wolfgram at heavyweight. Wolfgram comes in at No. 16 on FloWrestling’s list and No. 20 on InterMat’s ... redshirt junior Anthony Carman sealed one of the nine honorable mention spots in FloWrestling’s rankings at 184 pounds, while junior newcomer Sam Hillegas rounded out the group at No. 30 in the 149-weight class via InterMat … Hillegas comes to Morgantown after competing at 141 pounds for Virginia Tech … for the third straight year, WVU has signed one of the nation’s top prospects according to FloWrestling … freshman Brody Conley ranked No. 19 in the class of 2022, as he followed in the footsteps of redshirt freshman Jordan Titus (No. 25 – 2021) and junior Peyton Hall (No. 31 – 2020).
