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NCAA Whitewater Regional Web Page
 
The No. 11 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team saw its championship 2016 season come to a close Saturday night in a 24-26, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20 setback against 16th-ranked Washington-St. Louis in the title match of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship Whitewater Regional at Kris Russell Volleyball Arena.
 
The Warhawks (29-7 overall) finish their season as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions and wrapped up their 25th straight bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team's appearance in the NCAA Round of 16 (third round) is its best since the 2007 season.
 
Following the conclusion of the match, senior setter Staci Hasler (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) and junior right side hitter Sydney Racky (Walworth, Wis./Big Foot) were named to the Whitewater Regional's All-Tournament team.
 
The Bears (25-10) move on to the NCAA Championship round next week at UW-Oshkosh, where they'll face the winner of Mary Washington and No. 10 Juniata.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Amanda Spera (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) led UW-Whitewater with 11 kills, while Racky and senior outside hitter Lauren Pfeifer (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) posted 10 kills apiece. Pfeifer also recorded 12 digs.
 
Hasler totaled five kills, 39 assists and four digs, and junior middle hitter Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, Ill./Dekalb) finished with nine kills, four digs and two blocks.
 
Sophomore libero Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) collected 20 digs and three assists. Freshman defensive specialist Elizabeth Tworek (Lake Zurich, Ill./Carmel Catholic) posted nine digs, and senior defensive specialist Tessa Weber (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) registered seven digs and a team-best three service aces.
 
The Warhawks jumped out to a 9-5 advantage in the first set, but Washington closed the deficit and tied it by the midway point of the period.
 
UW-Whitewater fought off a set point trailing 24-23 before winning the last three points, including two on kills from Pfeifer and Racky, to take a 1-0 match lead.
 
The Bears sprinted to a 5-2 advantage in the second and, after the Warhawks rallied to a tie at 9-9, ran off six straight points to take control of the set and tie the match at 1-1.
 
UW-Whitewater held an 18-14 lead in the third set, but Washington rallied with five consecutive points to take the lead. After the two teams exchanged points, the Bears claimed the last four points of the set to seize the match lead.
 
The Warhawks fell behind 11-5 in the fourth before a 6-0 run on Weber's serve tied the set at 11-11. The two teams exchanged points and then mini-runs before Washington scored a 4-0 run to turn an 18-18 tie into a 22-18 advantage.
 
UW-Whitewater closed its deficit to 23-20 on a kill by sophomore middle hitter Kelley Berk (Cedarburg, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels), but the Bears won the last two points to take the match.
 
The Warhawks' senior class, which includes Hasler, Pfeifer, Weber, middle hitters Morgan Parker (Brookfield, Wis./East), Angelika Pointer (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) and outside hitter Jessica Sabey (Merrill, Wis./Merrill), finishes with a 113-33 record over the last four years, good for a .774 winning percentage. UW-Whitewater claimed WIAC regular season championships in 2014 and 2016, WIAC Tournament titles in 2015 and 2016 and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.