Third Place & Championship Review
WHITEWATER CLAIMS VOLLEYBALL WIAC TOURNAMENT TITLE
EAU CLAIRE - Third-seeded UW-Whitewater defeated top-seeded UW-Eau Claire in four games tonight to claim its seventh Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament title in the last 10 years.
The tenth-ranked Warhawks won by scores of 31-29, 30-24, 9-30, 30-28. Whitewater is now 32-6 overall, while Eau Claire is 28-3.
With the win, the Warhawks receive the automatic bid for the Division III NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament where they will look to repeat as national champions.
No. 5 Eau Claire jumped out to a 22-13 lead in game one, but the Warhawks rallied to take a 28-27 lead. With score tied 29-29, Whitewater scored the last two points to take the game 31-29.
The Warhawks kept it going in the second game, jumping out to a 12-3 lead. Whitewater kept that lead and won the second game 30-24.
The third game was all Blugolds, going up 15-4 and winning 30-9. The nine points was lowest Whitewater has scored in a game all year.
Eau Claire jumped out to a 7-3 lead early in game four. Whitewater would come back and the rest of the game went both ways. Whitewater pulled it out in the end, winning game four 30-28.
The Warhawks finished with 59 kills and the Blugolds finished with 50 kills. Kelly Sorensen led Whitewater with 14 kills and Jodi Dunbar led Eau Claire also with 14 kills.
It was Whitewater 11th conference tournament title since the tournament began in 1988 and their first since the 2002 season. The Blugolds, who have never won a WIAC Tournament championship, have now lost in the finals the last two years.
In the third place match, UW-Platteville defeated UW-River Falls in five games 30-18, 25-30, 30-28, 25-30, 15-12. The Pioneers are now 26-11 overall and the Falcons are 24-13.
With the score 16-16 in the first game, the Pioneers pulled away winning the next seven points and pulled away to win 30-18. The Falcons answered back in the second game as they scored seven of the last nine points to win 30-25.
The third game was close throughout, but Platteville went on to win 30-28. The Falcons forced the match to a fifth game with a 30-25 victory in game four.
In the fifth game, the Pioneers rallied from an 8-5 deficit to defeat the Falcons 15-12 and capture third place.
The Pioneers finished the match with 71 kills. Dana Alf led Platteville with 23 kills. River Falls finished with 64 kills. Andrea Geehan led the Falcons with 21 kills.
Dana Alf of Platteville was also named the conference's Player of the Year.
Tomorrow the NCAA will decide the field of 60 for the Division III NCAA Tournament. Eau Claire is expected to host one regional starting Thursday night. There are eight regions and the winner from each regional will move on to Salem, VA for the Elite Eight.
