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BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The 2021 Mountain East Conference Volleyball Tournament will take place November 18-20, at the Walker Convocation Center on the campus of West Virginia State University.

Fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance online, with each day costing $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children (5-18). Students with a valid ID will be admitted for free. 

All games and postgame press conference will be streamed live. Check Tournament Central for all links and daily game coverage.
 
The tournament features eight teams with representation from both the North and South Divisions. The quarterfinals will get underway on Thursday, followed by the semifinals on Friday and the championship match on Saturday.

Wheeling has won the MEC Tournament each year since the league's inception in 2013, including last spring's tournament that was held at West Virginia State. Wheeling (24-5, 15-1 MEC) is led offensively by Kayla Bekier at 3.21 kills per set, but gets a big lift from libero mainstay Audrey Francis, who is the NCAA Division II active leader in digs. The Cardinals will open tournament play on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. against Frostburg State. Despite finishing fifth in the North Division, the Bobcats earned a spot in the tournament with a better conference record and a head-to-head win over the fourth-ranked team in the South Division. Frostburg State is making its first appearance at the conference tournament. The Bobcats' Bevery Braun has had a breakout season for Frostburg State averaging over 3.5 kills per set and over 3.5 digs per set. 

The winner of the Wheeling/Frostburg State match will advance to take on the winner of the Davis & Elkins/West Liberty match. The Senators, the No. 2 seed in the South Division, went 14-13 on the year with an 11-5 mark in conference play. The Hilltoppers, the No. 3 seed in the North Division, posted a 20-12 overall record and match D&E with an 11-5 mark in conference play. WLU took the only matchup between the two teams, 3-0, when they met back on Oct. 29. Madison Clayton had a big day for the 'Toppers in that match with a team-best nine kills, three aces and seven blocks. 
 
The host Yellow Jackets get things started on the other side of the bracket at 5 p.m. on Thursday as they take on Notre Dame. West Virginia State (27-3, 15-1 MEC) is led by Jenna Dufresne, who ranks among the league leaders in attacks, kills and hitting percentage as an outside hitter. Anchored by Grace Martin, WVSU's 2.67 blocks per set leads the MEC and ranks fifth-best in the country. Notre Dame comes into Thursday's match with a record of 16-15 and went 7-9 in conference play. NDC's Amelia Kaeberlein ranks among the league leaders in digs, and Kelsie Palmer and Kaye Dregalla each average each average over 2.0 kills per set.

The quarterfinals wrap up on Thursday evening with Fairmont State taking on Charleston at 7:30 p.m., with the winner facing the WVSU/NDC winner in the semifinals. The Fighting Falcons come into the tournament with a 21-9 overall record and an 11-5 mark in conference play. Fairmont State returns several key players from last spring's team that played for the MEC Tournament title, led by Julia DiPaola, Keara Lewis and Lilianna Keber. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles have had a resurgance under first-year head coach Tyler Kanelos posting a 20-win season for UC for the first time since 2016. UC is 21-10 on the year and 10-6 in conference play. In addition to ranking among the league leaders in kills, UC's Sage Bearnson also ranks in the top five in th conference in aces. UC's Maria Hernandez is one of only two players this year to average double-digit assists at 10.30 per set.

The two teams met back on October 30 with Fairmont State escaping with a 3-2 win over the Golden Eagles. UC led by one set twice in the match, only to see the Falcons rally each time and win in the fifth set, 15-12. Lewis and DiPaola each had double-digit kils in the match for Fairmont State, and UC's Bearnson had a game-high 20.

The winner of the MEC Tournament will receive the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.