This week: Notre Dame College volleyball comes home for the first time this season as they battle West Liberty University at 6 p.m. on September 18 and then No. 19 Wheeling Jesuit University on September 21 at 7 p.m. in Murphy Gymnasium.

Records: The Falcons have a record of 6-7 this season and NDC has not played a Mountain East Conference game. West Liberty is 11-3, overall, and 2-0 in the MEC. WJU is also 11-3 and 2-0 MEC.

Coaches Corner: Travis Hinkle is in his first season at Notre Dame. Kayla Mull is in her seventh season as head coach of West Liberty. Last season, the Hilltoppers went 20-14 and 9-7 in the MEC. Christy Benner is in her 17th season at the helm of the Cardinals and has an overall record of 544-126.

Rankings: Wheeling Jesuit is ranked 19th in the AVCA Coaches Poll.

Series History: The Falcons have an all-time record of 5-7 against WLU since 2011 and they are 0-10 versus Wheeling Jesuit since 2013.

Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame comes into their first conference matchup after going 1-1 last Tuesday at the Salem University Tri-Match. The Falcons put together a four game win streak, winning the final three games of the Vulcan Invitational and the first matchup in the Salem Tri-Match. Against Salem, a 3-0 sweep, Erin Daugherty led the team with nine kills, Katie Richardson and Mary Kate McHugh each had a hit percentage over .300. Alexandra Kaeberlein had 26 digs. Against Point Park, Roberta Jokubauskaite put down seven blocks and three players recorded double-digit digs. McHugh did not play against Point Park, but this season, she has 181 kills, which leads the rest of the team by 99 kills. She ranks first in the Mountain East Conference in kills and has been named to two All-Tournament teams already this season. McHugh also has 143 digs. Alexandra Kaeberlein has 310 digs, which is third in the conference. Jokubauskaite has 1.42 blocks-per-game and 17 blocks in just 12 sets. As a team, the Falcons are ranked second in the MEC in digs-per-set with 19.91 and fourth in total digs (916).

Adding to the NDC History Paige?: Paige Staudacher had 44 assists in Salem, last week, and now needs 32 assists to get to 2000 for her career. If she gets it, she'll be the fourth player in school history with 2000, or more. She has 441 on the season, so far.

Noting the Hilltoppers: Last season, West Liberty didn't get their 11th win until October 3. This year they already have 11 wins, including a six game winning streak from August 28 until September 1. The Hilltoppers swept Fairmont State last Friday. They held a .485 hit percentage in the first set and cruised to victory with help by Olivia Baumhoer who had 10 kills, Kendall Souder with 20 assists and Kailee Cunningham with 17 digs. Two players had two aces, each. WLU defeated Shepherd, 3-1, on Saturday and had two players, Baumhoer and Abbi Gillson, had 13 and 14 kills, respectively. Souder and Renee Lemke each had 24 assists. Four players totaled double-digit digs. Madison Clayton and Caitlin Clarke each had four aces. The Hilltoppers have 81 aces this season and 615 total kills. As a team, they have held opponents to an average hit percentage of .136, which is tied for the lowest in the conference with West Virginia State. The Hilltoppers are top three in the conference in hit percentage, assists, kills, blocks, aces and digs. WLU likes to jump on their opponents early, winning the first set in all but one match this season.

Noting the Cardinals: Wheeling Jesuit started the season at the West Florida Tournament. There, they played the No. 2 ranked Southwest Minnesota State, No. 5 Western Washington, No. 7 Regis University and No. 15 University of West Florida. WJU defeated three of the teams, but fell to Southwest Minnesota State. Last weekend, they defeated Shepherd and Fairmont State to open MEC play, losing just one set over the two days. Against Shepherd, Cassie Meyers recorded 17 kills, 12 digs and 19 points. Audrey Francis, who is second in the conference in digs, led the team with 20 digs and Stephanie Sylvester had 46 assists in the game. Sylvester leads the MEC in assists by 202. The Cardinals totaled 18 fewer attack errors than the Rams and finished the game with a hit percentage of .282. Against Fairmont State, Meyer gave Wheeling Jesuit 16 kills, while Sylvester assisted on 41 kills. Haley Kramer added 11 kills and a hit percentage of .474. Kramer gets it done defensively, as well, and leads the conference in blocks at 51. Wheeling Jesuit had only 12 errors and finished with a hit percentage of .352 against FSU. The Cardinals have an average hit percentage of .232 this season. In the conference, WJU is first in hit percentage, assists, kills, blocks and digs.