Box Score The UW-Whitewater volleyball team left it all on the court in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III tournament in Elmhurst, Illinois, defeating Thomas More College 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 23-25, 16-14) to advance to second round play Saturday where they will play the winner of Friday's final first round match between Webster University and host Elmhurst College.  Whitewater's second round match will be played at 7:00 Saturday in Elmhurst, Illinois.  The regional final is set for 4:00 Sunday. 

Visit the UW-Whitewater regional website for additional information.

All-conference and all-region hitter Leanna Lillge (Ixonia/Watertown) posted 27 kills, tied for the eighth best kill total in school history, but it was Caroline Langer (Menomonee Falls/Milwaukee Pius XI)'s four kills in the final five points of the fifth set that clinched the Warhawk win.

The Saints, coming into the match with 23 wins in their last 24 contests, jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first set, an advantage that lasted throughout the opening set. Thomas More took set one 25-20 to gain the upper hand in the match 1-0. 

UW-Whitewater turned the tables on the Saints in set two. The Warhawk offense got things going and gained momentum through the set with the aid of Lillge's eight kills. UW-W pounded down 18 kills, seven more than the first set, while committing just four errors, six less than set one, leading to a 25-23 defeat of the Saints to even the match at one set apiece.

Whitewater kept things rolling in the third set rattling off six straight points to take a 6-2 lead and force an early Thomas More timeout. Brittney Langley (Winnebago, IL/Winnebago) and Lillge accounted for 10 of UW-W's 15 kills in the set. The Warhawks held the lead and grabbed an advantage in the match with a 25-18 set three win. 

UW-W had the early lead in set four before the Saints came roaring back late in the set. Whitewater was ahead 23-20 but Thomas More battled back with five straight points to take set four 25-23 to even the match at 2-2 and force the decisive fifth set. 

The final set started with the teams trading points. Back-to-back kills from Lillge broke the pattern and gave the Warhawks a 4-2 advantage. The Saints used a 5-1 run midway through the set to take a 13-10 lead when UW-W coach Stacy Boudreau called timeout to break Thomas More's momentum. Two straight errors by the Saints brought the Warhawks to within one, 13-12, and the Thomas More coach called a timeout. Langer pounded down back-to-back kills out of the timeout to put UW-W within one of set and match point, 14-13. Thomas More kept the match alive, and tied 14-14, but the Warhawks once again turned to Langer, who put together two more kills giving the Warhawks a 16-14 victory. The Warhawk defense held the Saints to a .027 attack percentage in the fifth set, allowing just six kills and forcing five errors. UW-W posted 11 kills, nine off the hands of Langer and Lillge combined, and committed five errors in the final set of the match. 

Whitewater posted 71 kills in the match compared to just 53 for Thomas More. UW-W held an 82-73 advantage in digs while the Saints recorded two more aces than the Warhawks. Lillge's 27 kills led all players. Langer ended up with 16 and Langley posted 11 kills in the contest. Lillge made it a double-double with 16 digs and added four total blocks, one solo and three assisted. Kelsey Nobilio (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) notched 19 digs in the match and was joined in double figures by Chelsea Mutton (Rockford, IL/Rockford East) and Kim Frei (West Bend/West Bend West) with 13 each. Frei dished out 63 assists. 

The Warhawks are 26-11 this season. The Saints end their 2012 season with a 26-6 record. 



AK/tf