A 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-19) win Friday at UW-River Falls puts UW-Whitewater within one match of a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship.  The Warhawks, ranked twenty-first in the AVCA III poll, are 23-7 overall and 6-1 in the WIAC.  River Falls is 15-17 and 2-5 in the league.

box score

In game one Whitewater led 14-6 when the Falcons went on a 10-1 run for an 18-14 lead.  Whitewater came back to within 24-23, but the Falcons won 25-23.  In game two the Warhawks' first lead was 6-4, but UW-W eventually built up several five point cushions, even to eight at 21-13.  UW-RF came within 24-22 before Whitewater closed it out.  River Falls held the lead for the first half of game three, but a 7-1 spurt by the Warhawks gave them a 17-13 lead, and a six point run at the end of the game provided the final margin 25-17.  The only time Whitewater trailed in game four was 3-2, twice leading by as many as nine points.

Senior Sofia Sanchez (Janesville/Craig) led the Warhawks with 17 kills, also contributing 15 digs.  Leanna Lillge (Ixonia/Watertown) was also in double figures in kills, with 11.  Heidi Buss (Cedarburg/Cedarburg) passed for 45 assists, and Kelsey Nobilio (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) led the team with 19 digs.  Ariel Johnston (Rockford, IL/Guilford) chipped in with six block assists.  River Falls was led by Erin Green's 14 kills and 12 from Danielle Gibbemeyer, with Mackenzie Suda compiling 39 assists and Courtney Preiner leading both teams with 25 digs.

UW-W will wrap up the WIAC regular season at UW-Stout in Menomonie Saturday.  Here's the dizzying part ... If Whitewater wins and UW-Eau Claire loses to Platteville (in EC) UW-W will tie for the championship and earn the number two seed (first tiebreaker is head-to-head and SP beat WW).  If EC wins and Whitewater loses, the Blugolds will tie for the championship and earn the one seed, Point the two because EC beat the Pointers.  If Whitewater and Eau Claire win there will be a three-way tie for the championship, and Point will be the top seed and Whitewater second.  If Whitewater and Eau Claire lose, Point will own the title and the top seed, and Whitewater will be the second seed.

The WIAC Tournament begins Tuesday, with the first and second seeds receiving a bye.  The third place team will host the sixth seed, and the fourth the fifth, at 7:00 Tuesday with the higher seeded team hosting.  Tuesday's two winners will join the top two seeds for semifinal matches, #1 meeting the lowest remaining seed at 7:00 and #2 meeting the other semifinalist at 5:00, with both matches hosted by the top seed.  The tournament championship will stay at the site of Friday's number one seed, with the third place match at 12:00 and the tournament championship at 2:30.  The winner of tthe WIAC Tournament earns the league's automatic berth in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III championship tournament.

For additional information:  Stacy Boudreau, UW-W coach