FAIRBORN — Making its fourth trip to the NCAA Championship in the last five seasons, the Wright State volleyball team will travel to take on Louisville inside the KFC Yum! Center in the opening round of the NCAA Championship. The Raiders learned their opponent Sunday night as part of ESPN’s live Selection Show.
The Raiders will take on the Cardinals on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET in first round action. The Wright State-Louisville winner advances to take on the Auburn-Western Michigan winner in the second round on Friday, December 1.
Wright State and Louisville met back on August 27 in the season’s opening weekend, with the Raiders taking a set off the Cardinals in a four set loss.
Wright State punched its ticket to the Dance last Sunday with a sweep over Green Bay, as Katie Meyer was named Horizon League Tournament MVP, while Callie Martin and Sam Ott were each named to the All-Tournament team.
This will be Wright State’s fourth NCAA Volleyball Championship appearance, with the Spring 2021 Raiders notching the first NCAA postseason win in program history with a sweep of Samford before falling to Texas. Wright State also earned an at-large bid into the 2019 tournament, the first at-large bid to an NCAA Championship in Wright State athletics history, where the Raiders ultimately fell to Purdue in the opening round.
Wright State enters the postseason with a 21-10 overall record and on a nine-match winning streak, while Louisville is 24-2 overall. This will be the 10th meeting all-time between the two schools, with the Raiders holding a 6-3 advantage in the series.
Wright State saw several Raiders earn honors as part of the 2023 Horizon League Volleyball Awards, led by Callie Martin’s Player of the Year honor. Fellow fifth-year senior Katie Meyer earned Setter of the Year honors and Travers Green was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year for the second straight season. The good news didn’t stop with the major awards, as Wright State recorded three First Team honors, with Megan Alders joining Martin and Meyer, while Jenny Wessling and Reilley Zegunis each earned Second Team recognition and Zegunis was also named to the All-Freshman Team.
Football title games to remain in Canton
The OHSAA announced Monday a new three-year deal for its football state championship games to remain at Tom Benson Hall of Fam Stadium in Canton.
The agreement runs through 2026 with an additional two option years available.
“We are excited to continue to grow this partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said during the announcement. “They have been so good to work with and are just as excited as us to take the next steps with the finals in Canton and have people experience all that the Hall of Fame, the surrounding Hall of Fame Village, and Canton have to offer in addition to state championship football. We also thank Visit Canton for their support of the state championships and appreciate their support to host the games in Stark County.”
Canton has been the home of the state finals since 2017. The games have previously been at Ohio Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University from 2014-16 and in Massillon from 1990-2013.
RESULTS
HIGH SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY
Girls Basketball
Beavercreek 52, Mason 51
The Lady Beavers trailed throughout the game before outscoring one of the state’s traditional top teams 14-6 in the fourth quarter.
Charlotte Pauling led the team with 15 points and seven rebounds. Alea Cook added seven boards and Lilli Leopard scored 12 points in the season opening win.
Oakwood 59, Fairborn 31
The Skyhawks scored more points in its opener than it did in 17 of its 18 games last season.
Brooklynn Kimball had 16 points and four steals for Fairborn. Morgan Hollon added 11 points.
SATURDAY
Girls Basketball
Fairland 66, Carroll 59
The Patriots fought back after trailing by 14 in the first quarter but couldn’t make up the difference.
Kiera Healy, Maura Petrovic and Eva Snyder led four scorers in double figures with 13 each. Healy also added 11 rebounds.
Greeneview 44, Northwestern 32
Daylee Sandlin scored 15 points and Monet Vest had 12 in the road win to open the season.
Kylan Climie knocked down the Rams’ only three-pointer.
SUNDAY
Hockey
Beavercreek wraps play in Frozen Creek
The Beavers went 0-3-1 in its 27th annual tournament.
Beavercreek tied Lexington, Ky., 2-2 in the late game on Saturday.
SCHEDULE
HIGH SCHOOL
TUESDAY
Girls Basketball
Miami Valley at Legacy Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Bowling
Legacy Christian at Bishop Fenwick, 3:30 p.m.
Fairborn at Stebbins, 4 p.m.
Greeneview at West Liberty Salem, 4 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Girls Basketball
Xenia at Fairborn, 6 p.m.
Tecumseh at Carroll, 7 p.m.
Springboro at Beavercreek, 7:30 p.m.
Cedarville at Catholic Central, 7:30 p.m.
Greeneview at Greenon, 7:30 p.m.
Bowling
Beavercreek at Springboro, 4 p.m.
THURSDAY
Girls Basketball
Bellbrook at Edgewood, 7:15 p.m.
Bowling
Xenia at Piqua, 4:30 p.m.
COLLEGE
WEDNESDAY
Men’s Basketball
IUPUI at Wright State, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
Men’s Basketball
Ohio Dominican at Cedarville, 7:45 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
Ohio Dominican at Cedarville, 5:30 p.m.
IUPUI at Wright State, 7 p.m.
Track & Field
Cedarville at Findlay Opener, 2 p.m.
Volleyball
Wright State at Louisville, 7 p.m. (NCAA Tournament)
