This Week: The Notre Dame College volleyball team hits the road to face Fairmont State University on Tuesday Oct. 3 at 7 p.m., before traveling to Wheeling on Friday Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.
 
Records: NDC begins the week at 3-8, including 2-1 inside the Mountain East Conference, placing the Falcons in second place in the MEC North Division. FSU sits at 7-10 overall and 1-2 in conference play, as Fairmont State is fourth in the MEC North Division. WU maintains an 8-6 mark, including holding third place in the MEC North Division at 1-1.
 
Coaches Corner: Erica Kostelac takes over the Notre Dame College volleyball program in her first season as head coach. Travis Hinkle is the head coach of Fairmont State University in his third season, holding a record of 57-26. Christy Benner remains at the helm of Wheeling University, amassing a 680-153 record in 23 season.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 4-21 all-time when facing Fairmont State, dating back to their first meeting in 2011 and including FSU's pair of four-set victories last season. NDC is 0-20 all-time against Wheeling, dating back to their first meeting in 2013 and including WU's series sweep last year.
 
Noting the NDC Falcons: Last week, Notre Dame went 1-1, beginning with a tough four-set loss at West Liberty which featured a pair of double-doubles from Sydney Bray and Jayme Zoeckler. The Falcons bounced back on Friday with all-around efficient performance during a straight set victory in the home opener over Frostburg State.
 
Bray leads the Notre Dame College offense on the year with 155 kills at 3.78 kills per set, ranking third in the MEC and 40^th in NCAA Division II. The freshman is joined by Samantha Comer (87), Lilliana Mook (70) and Kelsie Palmer (54) as Falcons with more than 50 kills.
 
Zoeckler enters the week red-hot by recording a double-double in each of her last three matches, as the Trinity High School product leads Notre Dame in assists (362), assists per set (8.83), aces (17) and aces per set (0.41). The Northfield, Ohio native ranks fourth in the MEC in assists per set.
 
Defensively, junior libero Kiley Kalina leads the team and ranks sixth in the MEC with 4.18 digs per set and 167 total digs. Bray (117), Zoeckler (92) and Comer (67) add support with digs, as Palmer controls the net with team-highs in blocks (21) and blocks per set (0.51).
 
As a team, Notre Dame averages 11.0 kills per set on a .145 attack percentage, to go with 10.1 assists per set, 1.4 aces per set, 15.4 digs per set and 1.5 blocks per set.
 
Noting the FSU Falcons: Last week, Fairmont State went 0-2, beginning with a five-set defeat to Wheeling despite battling back from down two sets to one. On Friday, FSU was swept at West Liberty.
 
On the year, the Falcons are paced by Joey Borelle (204), Ellie Zuro (180) and Josie Nobbe (129) in kills. Borelle is the team's leader in kills per set (3.29), ranking seventh in the MEC.
 
Jaianna Bouarouy and Kelsie Dangerfield split time at setter, posting 357 and 239 assists, respectively.
 
On defense, Josie Skinn ranks first in the conference and 13^th in the nation with 5.44 digs per set, alongside Borelle (218), Bouarouy (129) and Dangerfield (126). At the net, Emma Ludwig carries the team with 67 blocks at 1.10 blocks per set.
 
As a whole, Fairmont State averages 12.2 kills per set on a .180 attack percentage, to go with 11.3 assists per set, 1.4 aces per set, 17.5 digs per set and 2.2 blocks per set.
 
Noting the Cardinals: Last week, Wheeling went 2-1, beginning with a conference win over Fairmont State in five sets. On Friday, WU finished off Salem in straight sets, before turning around to play another non-conference bout with Indiana (Pa.), falling in four.
 
The Cardinals are fueled offensively by the trio of Tylah Yeomans (189), Riley Kindall (173) and Mady Winters (118) as the team leaders in kills. Yeomans boasts 3.71 kills per set on a .324 attack percentage, ranking fourth in the MEC in both categories.
 
Karly Niesen sets up the Wheeling attack with 11.29 assists per set, ranking tops in the MEC and eighth in the country.
 
Defensively, Kindall leads a balanced backline with 183 digs, alongside Niesen (156), Berit Jones (137) and Abbey Queen (108). Mady Winters is a threat at the net, owning 46 blocks at 0.96 blocks per set, fourth in the MEC.
 
As a unit, Wheeling averages 13.7 kills per set on a .251 attack percentage, to go with 13.0 assists per set, 0.6 aces per set and 17.8 digs per set and 2.2 blocks per set. The Cardinals rank 13^th in assists per set, 16^th in kills per set, 17^th in digs per set and 21^st in attack percentage.