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The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team closed out the 2019 season Friday with a 25-19, 25-15, 24-26, 25-21 setback against Otterbein in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship at the Chicago Regional.
 
The Warhawks (22-10 overall) wrap up their season after claiming their league-leading 17th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship. The team finished as runner-up in the WIAC Tournament, and was selected to compete in the national tournament for the 27th time in the last 28 years.
 
Seniors Rachel Butterfield (Milton, Wis./Milton) and Ashton Doll (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) wrapped up their standout four-year careers with strong performances in the match. Butterfield, an outside hitter, tallied a team-high 12 kills to go along with three digs, two blocks and one service ace. Doll, a middle hitter, posted nine kills on a .300 hitting percentage and added a team-high six blocks to go with one dig.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Johni Bunkers (Wildwood, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) recorded six kills on a .556 hitting percentage and added one block. Sophomore setter KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) registered a double-double with 23 assists and 11 digs, and sophomore setter Paige Manssen (Bull Valley, Ill./McHenry West) collected 12 assists and two digs.
 
Freshman libero Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) totaled 17 digs, two kills and one assist. Sophomore outside hitter Emma Aske (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) and sophomore defensive specialist Hailey Mackenthun (Webster, Minn./Northfield) contributed nine digs apiece.
 
With the first set tied at 16-16, the Cardinals (26-6) ran off four straight points, forcing two UW-W timeouts in that span. After UW-Whitewater drew to within 21-19, Otterbein scored the final four points of the period for a 1-0 match lead.
 
The Warhawks jumped out to a 6-3 advantage in the second, but the Cardinals stormed back with a 5-0 run to take a 12-9 lead. Otterbein never trailed again in the set, and recorded the final five points to take a 2-0 match lead.
 
The two teams traded mini-runs in the third set all the way to a 24-24 tie. UW-Whitewater forced back-to-back attack errors to extend the match to a fourth set.
 
The Warhawks led 8-5 in the fourth, but the Cardinals scored four of the next five to level the set at 9-9. Otterbein turned a 15-14 deficit into a 17-15 lead and never looked back from there. UW-Whitewater closed to within 21-20, but the Cardinals closed by winning four of the last five points.
 
Otterbein will face Chicago in the second round on Saturday.