SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – After falling in the first two sets, Notre Dame College improved in the third set and took a late lead. However, No. 17 Wheeling University closed the match with a 3-0 victory, on Tuesday night.

The first set featured Wheeling jumping out to a quick start, going up 8-4. Notre Dame bounced back and scored two straight, with help from an attack error and a kill, to close within two points, 8-6. Wheeling took a timeout and then responded with a 6-1 run. The Cardinals went on to win the first set, 25-15.

With four ties early in the second set, neither team could stretch their lead. After the Falcons tied the set at eight, Wheeling put together a 5-2 run. Holding a 13-10 advantage, Wheeling went on a 10-1 run and then went on to win the set, 25-13. The Cardinals had a .297 hit percentage in the first set and .375 in the second. Over the first two sets, they totaled eight errors.

The third set was very competitive with NDC using a big run to take a late lead. After WU went ahead, 7-2, three Wheeling attack errors and two kills set Notre Dame up with a 5-0 run which tied the set at seven. The Falcons then used a 6-1 run, highlighted by sophomore Roberta Jokubauskaite's two aces, to take a 15-11 lead. WU came back to grab the lead, 20-19, but Notre Dame tied it up twice more. Wheeling would eventually win by a score of 25-21.

Senior Mary Kate McHugh led the Falcons with 10 kills and a .320 hit percentage, while senior Paige Staudacher had 19 assists. Jokubauskaite's two aces were the first of her career. Defensively, senior Alexandra Kaeberlein added 16 digs. Both sophomore Katie Richardson and senior Natalie Spadaro had three blocks. NDC finished with seven total blocks.

For Wheeling, Cassie Meyer had 17 kills and Haley Kramer finished with 11 kills with a .360 hit percentage. Stephanie Sylvester had 42 assists and eight digs. Audrey Francis finished with 22 of WU's 70 digs.

The Falcons travel to play West Virginia State University on November 1. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.