With over 600 victories and a National Championship under her belt, Head Coach Christy Benner has elevated Wheeling volleyball to a top-tier program both regionally and nationally. She enters her 22nd season at Wheeling as the head coach during the 2023 season.
Over the past 22 seasons, Benner's teams have compiled an impressive 672-147 record. With an .821 winning percentage, she ranks as the fifth winningest coach (active or retired) in Division II Volleyball history. Her squads are also 162-4 in the first 10 years of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) and had an incredible string of 219-straight conference wins dating back to the school's days as a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) snapped on February 16th, 2021 against Fairmont State.
2022, saw the Cardinals once again reach the pinnacle of the MEC, winning their 10th consecutive MEC Championship when they defeated Charleston 3-1. They finished the year 27-8 overall and added a 15-1 record in conference play, with their only loss coming against Charleston in the regular season.They also advanced to the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championship, hosted by Gannon University, before being bounced in the semifinal round.
Under Benner, the Cardinals had four All-MEC honorees, including three First Team All-MEC winners in Tylah Yeomans, Allonda Watkins and the 2022 MEC Volleyball Player of the Year Karly Niesen. Yeomans, Watkins, Niesen, and Mady Winters each also won D2CCA and AVCA All-Region honors, and the yearly awards wrapped up with Yeomans, Niesen, and Watkins each taking home AVCA All-American honors.
In 2021, the Cardinals once again showed dominance over the MEC, going an impressive 15-1 to bring their all-time record to 147-3 in MEC play. Their lone loss of the year came against West Virginia State, but they avenged that loss with a 3-1 win in the MEC Championship that helped them claim their ninth consecutive MEC Championship. Freshman Mady Winters picked up the MEC's Freshman of the Year Award while Audrey Francis capped her Volleyball career with her fifth consecutive MEC Libero of the Year Title. The Cardinals had five All-MEC honorees during the year and Francis added to her trophy case by being named an AVCA All-American.
In the COVID shortened 2020 season, despite taking their first two Mountain East Conference losses, Benner and her team still managed to win their eighth consecutive Mountain East Conference (MEC) title when they defeated Fairmont State 3-0. Wheeling had four players win All-MEC postseason honors, including senior Audrey Francis winning her fourth straight All-MEC Libero of the Year Award
Benner’s teams been selected to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Atlantic Region tournament 15 times (2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021), won the region seven times, advanced to two Final Fours and won the 2015 Division II National Championship. The 2015 team remains the only team in Division II volleyball history to win the National Championship from the Atlantic Region.
The Cardinals have secured 17 regular-season championships in the WVIAC and MEC with a remarkable 300-5 (.984) record in conference play under Benner, including 15 undefeated conference regular seasons.
The 2019 MEC and AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year guided Wheeling to a 33-4 overall record last year, including a 16-0 mark in league play, a seventh-straight MEC Championship, and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Atlantic Region Final for the ninth-straight season. The team also posted 30 or more wins for the 13th-consecutive season under Benner.
Wheeling was ranked among the top-25 in each release of the AVCA poll and finished the season ranked No. 24. All four of the team’s losses came against teams ranked in the final AVCA Top-25 poll.
Individually, Wheeling had a trio of AVCA All-Americans and the first two individual NCAA Statistical Champions in program-history. Senior middle hitter Haley Kramer ended the season with a school- and MEC-record .440 hitting percentage, while senior setter Stephanie Sylvester dished out a national-best 12.76 assists per set.
Benner collected her 600th career win in the team’s 2019 MEC Championship victory over Urbana.
2021:
-9th MEC Tournament Championship
-9th Consecutive Host Site for NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament
-Five All-MEC Honorees (Audrey Francis (MEC Libero of the Year), Lexi Reinert, Mady Winters (MEC Freshman of the Year), Lexi Smith, Karly Niesen
-Audrey Francis named AVCA Third Team All-American
2020:
- 8th MEC Regular Season & Tournament Title
- Player Awards of Note: Audrey Francis (All-MEC Libero of the Year, fourth straight), Kayla Bekier (All-MEC First Team), Karly Niesen (All-MEC Second Team), Lexi Reinert (All-MEC Honorable Mention)
- Had a winning percentage of .846 in COVID-shortened 13 game season
2019:
• 13th-straight 30-plus win season in a row
• 7th MEC Regular Season & Tournament title
• NCAA Atlantic Region Finalist - lost to Gannon
• AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year
• MEC Coach of the Year
• Ranked No. 24 in final AVCA Top-25 poll
• Player Awards of Note: Haley Kramer (AVCA & D2CCA All-American 2nd Team, AVCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year), Stephanie Sylvester (AVCA All-American 3rd Team, D2CCA All-American 1st Team, D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year, MEC Player of the Year), Audrey Francis (AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, D2CCA All-American 3rd Team, MEC Libero of the Year)• MEC Coach of the Year
2018:
• 12th-straight 30-plus win season in a row
• 6th MEC Regular Season & Tournament title
• NCAA Atlantic Region Champion
• NCAA Elite Eight – lost to Lewis
• Ranked No. 11 in final AVCA Top-25 poll
• Player Awards of Note: Haley Kramer (AVCA All-American 1st Team, AVCA & D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year, MEC Player of the Year), Stephanie Sylvester (AVCA All-American 2nd Team, D2CCA All-American 2nd Team), Cassie Meyer (AVCA All-American 3rd Team, D2CCA All-American 2nd Team), Audrey Francis (D2CCA All-American 2nd Team, AVCA All-Region 1st Team, MEC Libero of the Year)
2017:
• 5th MEC Regular Season & Tournament title
• NCAA Atlantic Region Finalist – fell to Final Four team Gannon in Region Final
• MEC Coach of the Year
• Player Awards of Note: Haley Kramer (AVCA All-American 2nd Team, D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year), Stephanie Sylvester (AVCA All-American 3rd Team, D2CCA Atlantic Region 1st Team), Cassie Meyer (D2CCA Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year and MEC Freshman of the Year), Audrey Francis (MEC Libero of the Year).
2016:
• Program record 41 wins
• Run of 34-straight match wins
• NCAA Elite 8 -- lost to Lewis
• NCAA Atlantic Region, MEC Regular Season & Tournament Champions
• NCAA Atlantic Region & MEC Coach of the Year
• Player Awards of Note: Haley Kindall (AVCA All-American 2nd Team, D2CCA All-American 1st Team, MEC Player of the Year), Andrea Thobe (AVCA All-American 1st Team, D2CCA All-American 1st Team), Kayce Krucki (AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, D2CCA All-American 3rd Team, CoSIDA Academic All-American 3rd Team, MEC Libero of the Year), Bre Kramer (AVCA Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year, MEC Freshman of the Year)
2015:
• Program & WJU athletic department's first-ever National Championship
• Cardinals rattled off victories in its final 12 matches, which went through the team's 3rd-straight MEC Tournament Championship and 5th Atlantic Region title in a row.
• At NCAA Elite Eight, WJU dropped its opening set, before it kept the winning roll going with nine set wins in a row, including a 3-0 sweep of Palm Beach Atlantic in the National Championship
• MEC Coach of the Year
• Runner-up in the West Virginia Funfari Award as the top collegiate coach
• 39 wins set the program record for wins in a season
• Player Awards of Note: Andrea Thobe (AVCA All-American 2nd Team), Haley Kindall (AVCA All-American Honorable Mention), Kayce Krucki (MEC Player of the Year), Jessica Thobe (MEC Libero of the Year) and Lauran Graves (AVCA Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year)
2014:
• 4th NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance in a row
• Atlantic Region, MEC Regular Season & Tournament champions
• Posted 38 victories for 3rd year in a row
• MEC Coach of the Year
• Player Awards of Note: Andrea Thobe (MEC Player of the Year), Haley Kindall (AVCA All-American 3rd Team), Emma Schleucher (All-American Honorable Mention), and had seven players make the All-Atlantic Region teams.
2013:
• NCAA Final Four, its deepest run and finish in program history up to that point
• Lost to No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul in National Semis
• Finished 38-6
• NCAA Atlantic Region, MEC Regular Season & Tournament Champions
• Inaugural MEC Coach of the Year
• Player Awards of Note: Jenna Pew (MEC Player of the Year), Haley Kindall (MEC Freshman of the Year)
Benner was voted the 2011 Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and was the WVIAC Coach of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Seven of her players have been named WVIAC Player of the Year: Kirstin Hearn (2003), Catie Halberstadt (2008), Keysha Allison (2009), Laura O'Reilly (2010), AllissaWare (2011) and Jenna pew (2012 and 2013). And four of her players have won the WVIAC Freshman of the Year award: Catie Halberstadt (2006), Allissa Ware (2009), Jenna Pew (2010), and Haley Kindall(2013). In addition, Keysha Allison and Jenna Pew were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) third team All-American (2010 and 2013).
In 2011, WU earned its first Atlantic Region Championship and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, when it defeated California University of Pennsylvania. The Cardinals finished 36-4 overall and 14-0 in WVIAC play.
In the previous 2010 season, Wheeling University finished 33-5 overall and swept through regular WVIAC season play without losing a set. The Cardinals secured a fourth consecutive conference title and advanced to the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament for the third-straight year. WU defeated Gannon before being eliminated by Clarion University.
The Cardinals posted a 36-6 mark in 2009, including another undefeated conference season, and a number five seed in the Atlantic Regional of the NCAA Division II tournament. Wheeling University defeated Gannon to advance to the regional semi-finals, before once again, being eliminated by eventual regional champion California (Pa.).
Her 2008 team finished the season with a 30-10 record and was awarded the number two seed in the Atlantic Regional of the NCAA Division II tournament. The team defeated West Virginia State and Slippery Rock to reach the NCAA "sweet sixteen," before falling to California (Pa.) in the regional championship match.
Benner’s 2003 squad recorded one of the most successful seasons in WU history in any sport. That team led all of NCAA Division II in victories with a 38-3 record and finished the season ranked 22nd nationally in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II poll. The team went 19-0 in the WVIACregular season, and it swept through the conference tournament en route to a number-two seeding in the Great Lakes Regional of the NCAA Division II tournament.
Benner and her husband, assistant coach Matt, live in Moundsville, West Virginia, with their son, Max.
Season |
Record |
Titles |
2002 |
36-9 |
WVIAC Regular Season, WVIAC Tournament, NCAA Tournament appearance |
2003 |
38-3 |
WVIAC Regular Season, WVIAC Tournament, NCAA Tournament appearance |
2004 |
25-15 |
WVIAC Regular Season |
2005 |
21-17 |
WVIAC Regular Season |
2006 |
20-16 |
|
2007 |
31-12 |
WVIAC Regular Season |
2008 |
30-10 |
WVIAC Tournament, NCAA Tournament appearance |
2009 |
36-6 |
WVIAC Regular Season, WVIAC Tournament, NCAA Tournament appearance |
2010 |
33-5 |
WVIAC Regular Season, WVIAC Tournament, NCAA Tournament appearance |
2011 |
36-4 |
WVIAC Regular Season, WVIAC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region, NCAA DII Elite Eight |
2012 |
38-3 |
WVIAC Regular Season, WVIAC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region, NCAA DII Elite Eight |
2013 |
38-6 |
MEC Regular Season, MEC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region, NCAA DII Final Four |
2014 |
38-4 |
MEC Regular Season, MEC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region, NCAA DII Elite Eight |
2015 |
39-4 |
MEC Regular Season, MEC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region, NCAA DII National Champions |
2016 |
41-3 |
MEC Regular Season, MEC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region, NCAA DII Elite Eight |
2017 |
33-6 |
MEC Regular Season, MEC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region Finalist, NCAA DII Sweet 16 |
2018 |
37-4 |
MEC Regular Season, MEC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region, NCAA DII Elite Eight |
2019 |
33-4 |
MEC Regular Season, MEC Tournament, NCAA Atlantic Region Finalist, NCAA DII Sweet 16 |
2020 |
13-2* |
MEC Regular Season, MEC Tournament (No Atlantic Regional or NCAA National Tournament) |
2021 |
29-6 |
MEC North Regular Season Championship,MEC Tounament Championship, NCAA Atlantic Regional Finalist |
2022 |
27-8 |
MEC North Regular Season Championship,MEC Tournament Championship, NCAA Atlantic Regional Semifinalist |
22 yrs. |
672-147
(.821) |
19 Conference Regular Season Championships, 16 Conference Tournament Championships, 7 NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships, 7 NCAA Elite Eight appearances, 2 NCAA Final Four appearances, 2015 NCAA National Championship |
* = COVID shortened season