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The No. 23 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team made its seventh consecutive appearance in the conference tournament championship match Saturday night, falling 20-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19, 15-10 against UW-Stevens Point in the final of the 2019 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship (presented by Culver's) at Russell Arena.
The Warhawks (22-9) will learn their NCAA Tournament fate during Monday's Selection Show, which is scheduled to air at 11:30 a.m. Central Time on
NCAA.com.
Senior middle hitter
Ashton Doll (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) collected 15 kills on a .310 hitting percentage and added four blocks. Senior outside hitter
Rachel Butterfield (Milton, Wis./Milton) tallied 13 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, and freshman setter
Maggie Streckert (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) recorded 32 assists, eight digs and two blocks.
Sophomore middle hitter
Morgan Wardall (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) and freshman outside hitter
Chloe Buescher (Janesville, Wis./Milton) each finished with double-doubles. Wardall collected 11 kills and 12 digs, and Buescher posted 11 kills and 17 digs.
Freshman libero
Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) was one of five Warhawks in double-figures in digs with a team-best 31 to go along with three assists. Sophomore defensive specialist
Hailey Mackenthun (Webster, Minn./Northfield) totaled 17 digs, and sophomore setter
KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) contributed a double-double with 11 digs and 19 assists.
UW-Whitewater raced out to a 6-0 lead in the first set and never trailed in the period. UW-Stevens Point (26-8) generated momentum at the end of the set, getting to as close as four, but Doll gave the Warhawks a 1-0 match lead with a kill on the team's third set point.
The Pointers jumped out to an 11-4 advantage in the second, which they never trailed.
UW-Stevens Point led 6-3 in the third before UW-Whitewater scored eight of the next 10 points and 11 of the next 14 for a 15-8 advantage. The Warhawks continued to build on the lead, doubling up the Pointers at 22-11, and took the set for a 2-1 match lead despite a late 7-0 run by UW-Stevens Point.
The two teams traded mini-runs early in the fourth set. UW-Whitewater led 16-12 following a 6-1 run that included kills by Buescher and Doll. From there, the Pointers closed the set on a 13-3 run to force the fifth.
The two teams traded mini-runs in the fifth set. Following a 4-0 run by the Warhawks to tie the set at 8-8, UW-Stevens Point took a timeout and rallied to take the next four points.
Wardall ended the spurt with a kill, and UW-Whitewater drew to within three, but the Pointers claimed the final two points to clinch the match.