West Liberty, W.Va. — The West Liberty University volleyball team heads to Cedarville, Ohio, this weekend for four matches in the annual Cedarville Invitational. The Hilltoppers (2-3) will play twice on Friday, taking on Saginaw Valley State at 9 a.m. before facing D'Youville at 4:30 p.m. The weekend continues Saturday with a matchup against nationally regarded Indianapolis at 11:30 a.m., capped by a primetime contest against host Cedarville at 7 p.m.

The Black and Gold enter the tournament coming off a challenging opening stretch that included playing in the Ashland tournament and hosting Malone in their home opener. Through their first five matches, the Hilltoppers have been nearly even with opponents statistically, averaging 11.5 kills per set while holding foes to 11.1.

Several players have already emerged as key contributors:

• Ashley Cudnik leads the attack with 40 kills (2.67/set).
   

• Kyia White (35 kills) and Liv McAtee (35 kills) have been steady offensive options.
   

• Grace Hill has been West Liberty's most efficient hitter so far, swinging at a .370 clip.
   

• At the net, Adrienne Staib (13 total blocks) and Hill (15) have helped keep opponents in check.
   

• Defensively, libero Bella Dart has anchored the back row with 57 digs (3.35/set).
   

As a team, the Hilltoppers are out-digging their opponents 227-213 and hold a slim edge in blocks per set (1.7 to 1.6).

This weekend offers a chance for West Liberty to test itself against a variety of opponents, including a tough Indianapolis squad that has been a perennial postseason contender, and a Cedarville team that will have home-court advantage in Saturday's nightcap.