The 2009 season came to a close for the UW-Whitewater volleyball team, ranked seventh in the last American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, with a loss in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III tournament to fourteenth ranked University of St. Thomas (MN) 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-17)
in Oshkosh Thursday afternoon. Whitewater was making its twenty-second NCAA tournament appearance, including the last eighteen years in a row.
UW-W Tournament Central site
box score
photo gallery
The Warhawks found themselves trailing most of the way through all three sets. In game one Saint Thomas jumped out to a 5-0 lead and then stretched it to 13-4 and 19-6. With the score 23-10, UW-W rallied to score seven straight points to pull within 23-17, but the Tommies closed it out. Game two looked different from the start, with the teams tied 4-4. UST scored four straight, 8-4, but Whitewater scored six of the next eight points to knot it 10-10. Saint Thomas then earned seven of the next eight points to open a 16-11 gap, but UW-W regrouped after a timeout to pull within two, 16-14. Saint Thomas led 24-20, but Whitewater added two points and UST called a timeout leading 24-22. The Warhawks pushed it to 24-23 after the break, but got the next point for the win. Saint Thomas started out 3-0 in game three, but Whitewater game back to take its first lead of the afternoon with four straight, 4-3. Tied up at 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, and 8-8, the Tommies broke away with a seven point run for a 15-8 lead. Whitewater responded with a 5-0 string to make it 15-13 UST, but that was as close as it would be the rest of the game.
Alyssa Bauer (Naperville, IL/Central), who finished with a game high 24 digs, broke the UW-W season dig record previously held by Stephanie Everett (1997) and Angie Wildish (2002), 686. in the first game. Bauer ended the season 707 digs.
UW-W was led by
Caitlin Hogan (New London/New London)'s 12 kills and .524 attack percentage.
Melissa Zuleger (Little Chute/Little Chute) contributed seven kills, hit .429, and had four total blocks (one solo).
Alyse Karls (Dane/Lodi) led both teams with 31 assists. Saint Thomas did not have a player in double figure kills, but Katie Bonine and Kyley Crotty had nine apiece, with Crotty adding 12 digs. Emily Foster had 30 assists for the Tommies, and Kaitlin Wachter 15 digs. Saint Thomas hit .194 as a team, Whitewater .170. UST had four blocking errors and one ball handling miscue, Whitewater had three blocking errors and four ball handling errors.
Whitewater and Saint Thomas also met in the 2006 and 2007 NCAA tournament. UW-W won 3-0 in the second round in 2006, and the Warhawks prevailed 3-2 in the regional final in '07.
Whitewater faced opponents that made the NCAA III tournament 19 times this season, exactly half of their schedule coming against the best competition possible. UW-W went 13-6 in those contests. The Warhawks end the year 31-7.
Saint Thomas, 25-7, advances to the second round Friday, with the regional final Saturday in Oshkosh. The regional winner will join seven other regional winners in the NCAA III final eight November 19-21 at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio.
