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The No. 11 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team won its second consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament and punched its ticket to the program's 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament Saturday with a 25-21, 17-25, 25-22, 25-23 victory over 13th-ranked UW-La Crosse at Kris Russell Volleyball Arena.
The Warhawks (27-6 overall) will find out where they're headed for the regional round the NCAA Tournament during the NCAA Selection Show, which airs Monday at 11:30 a.m. Central Time on NCAA.com.
The WIAC Tournament title was UW-Whitewater's 16th all time and third in the last six years.
Senior outside hitter
Lauren Pfeifer (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) led the Warhawks with 16 kills and 11 digs, while junior right side hitter
Sydney Racky (Walworth, Wis./Big Foot) collected 12 kills and three blocks.
Junior middle hitter
Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, Ill./Dekalb) finished with nine kills and two blocks, and freshman middle hitter
Ashton Doll (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) registered a team-best six blocks.
Senior setter
Staci Hasler (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) recorded eight kills on a .533 hitting percentage and added 39 assists, nine digs and two blocks.
Senior defensive specialist
Tessa Weber (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) posted a team-high 17 digs and had two service aces, while sophomore libero
Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) contributed 14 digs and two service aces. Freshman defensive specialist
Elizabeth Tworek (Lake Zurich, Ill./Carmel Catholic) added 12 digs.
After the Eagles (22-5) forged an 18-18 tie in the first set, the Warhawks won seven of the last 10 points in the frame, highlighted by kills from Wagner and sophomore outside hitter
Amanda Spera (Antioch, Ill./Antioch), to take a 1-0 lead.
UW-La Crosse jumped out to an early lead in the second and never trailed beyond the first point of the set to even the match at 1-1.
The Eagles held an 11-7 advantage in the third, but UW-Whitewater rallied on Robinson's serve to tie the set at 12-12 midway through. The Warhawks posted a 4-0 run to turn an 18-18 tie into a 22-18 lead and held on the rest of the way.
In the fourth, Pfeifer recorded four kills on the team's first six points to help give UW-Whitewater a 9-3 advantage. UW-La Crosse rallied to within one on two different occasions later in the set, but the Warhawks responded with a run each time and held on to secure the victory.