This Week: The Notre Dame College volleyball team will travel to Institute, WV to face West Virginia State University in the Quarterfinal Round of the MEC Tournament on Thursday Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. WVSU is the host site for the all of MEC Tournament matches this year.
 
MEC Tournament: The Quarterfinal Round will begin with Davis & Elkins against West Liberty on Thursday at noon. Upon conclusion of the first match, Wheeling will face Frostburg State at 2:30 p.m., followed by NDC and WVSU at 5 p.m. and rounding out the day at 7 p.m. with Fairmont State vs. Charleston. The winner of D&E and WLU will face the winner of WU and FSU in the first semifinal on Friday, while the winner of NDC and WVSU will play the winner of FSU and UC in the second semifinal match. The championship game will commence on Saturday Nov. 20 at 5 p.m.
 
Records: Notre Dame College begins postseason play with a record of 16-15 (7-9 MEC) and the fourth seed in the MEC North Division. West Virginia State is currently 27-3 (15-1 MEC) and the first seed in the MEC South Division.
 
Coaches Corner: Hannah Watson and Anthony Mezacapa are in their first season as Co-Head Coaches of the NDC volleyball program with a career record of 16-15. Kris Kern is in is fifth season with the West Virginia State volleyball program with a career record of 126-95.
 
Rankings: Neither team is ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
 
Series History: NDC is 4-5 all-time against West Virginia State dating back to 2013 and including the two team's lone meeting this year in Institute, WV when the Yellow Jackets won 3-0.
 
Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame concluded their 2021 regular season by splitting their two contests last week. On Tuesday, NDC traveled to Frostburg State and lost in five sets, 24-26, 25-17, 25-21, 20-25, 8-15. Brittany Miller totaled 15 kills to pace the NDC attack as Jayme Zoeckler grabbed 26 assists. Amelia Kaeberlein generated a new program record for digs with 44 in the match. Kaeberlein's 44 digs also tied the Mountain East Conference record for digs in a match. On Friday, the Falcons rebounded with a four- set victory over Alderson Broaddus, 14-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-16. Grace Smotek led NDC with 11 kills as Zoeckler again posted a team-high 24 assists. Kaeberlein totaled another 33 digs, which is tied for fifth most in a four-set match in program history.
 
Kaeberlein was fabulous last week and has been stellar all season long as the senior captain on this NDC Falcons team. The libero has anchored the Notre Dame defense, match in and match out, as she has now totaled 598 digs on the season, at a rate of 6.16 digs per set. The Canton Central Catholic product has consistently ranked 3^rd in the MEC in total digs and 2^nd in the MEC in digs per set all season long. Kaeberlein also ranks amongst the Division II elite, as the Massillon, Ohio native sits at 12^th in total digs and T-9^th in digs per set across the country.
 
Kelsie Palmer and Kaye Dregalla have been the driving forces for Notre Dame on the attack as the two lead NDC in kills at 277 and 244 respectively this season. Katie Richardson is a hidden weapon for NDC as she has quietly been the most efficient attacker for the Falcons with a team leading .239 hit percentage (on players with 100+ total attacks). The Falcons will lean heavily on these three to do their damage, but will need setters McKenzie Andrix and Zoeckler to do their jobs. The two setters have been very reliable all season long as Andrix leads the team in assists at 588, as Zoeckler adds 486.
 
On average for the season, NDC has generated 11.7 kills per set, 11.1 assists per set, 1.4 service aces per set, 18.6 digs per set and 1.7 blocks per set. Their opposition on average generates 12.3 kills per set, 11.6 assists per set, 1.5 service aces per set, 18.5 digs per set and 1.8 blocks per set.
 
Noting the Yellow Jackets: West Virginia State added two more wins to their record upon the conclusion of their regular season last week. On Tuesday, WVSU beat D&E 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19), as the Yellow Jackets Jenna Dufresne led the team with 20 kills. On Friday, West Virginia State extended their winning streak to nine games with a 3-1 victory over Charleston (24-26, 25-14, 25-21, 25-14). Natalie Beer paced WVSU with 17 kills during the contest.
 
The last time the Yellow Jackets dropped a match was their lone MEC loss to West Liberty on Oct. 19. The Hilltoppers bested the Yellow Jackets 3-2 (25-13, 25-27, 24-26, 25-15, 12-15) in West Liberty, WV.
 
West Virginia State is led by Dufresne and Beer who are their one-two combo on the attack. Dufresne leads the team and is 2^nd in the MEC in both total kills (401) and kills per set (4.31). Beer is the Yellow Jackets most efficient attacker with the MEC's 5^th best hit percentage (.319), while totaling 260 kills.
 
On average for the season, WVSU has played to 13.7 kills per set, 12.5 assists per set, 1.9 service aces per set, 17.6 digs per set and 2.7 blocks per set. They surrender 10.3 kills per set, 9.6 assists per set, 1.1 service aces per set, 15.3 digs per set and 1.1 blocks per set.