Related Links:
Regional Web Page
The No. 9 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Thursday afternoon with a 26-28, 25-13, 25-15, 25-12 victory against Ithaca (N.Y.) in a first-round match played at Calvin University's Van Noord Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The Warhawks (27-2 overall) advance to the Grand Rapids Regional semifinal to face No. 24 Otterbein (Ohio), which defeated Westminster (Pa.) in three sets earlier Thursday. Friday's second-round match will begin at 4:30 p.m. Central Time.
UW-Whitewater posted a .291 hitting percentage Thursday while holding the Bombers (16-14) to a .050 hitting percentage, and held advantages in service aces (9-4) and blocks (11-6).
Jenna Weinfurt (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) tallied a team-high 12 kills to go with four blocks, while fellow outside hitter
Erin McNeil (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) registered 10 kills on a .529 hitting percentage with two blocks. Middle hitter
Morgan Wardall (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) collected 11 kills on a .412 hitting percentage, and
Kirsten Anderson (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) finished with eight kills, three digs and five blocks. Right side hitter
Baylie Hansen (Bonduel, Wis./Shawano) matched Anderson with five blocks and added three kills.
Paige Manssen (Bull Valley, Ill./McHenry West) recorded a team-high 25 assists, while
KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) totaled 22 assists, three service aces and two blocks.
Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) paced the defense with 17 digs.
Emma Aske (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) contributed 12 digs, six kills and two service aces, and
Hailey Mackenthun (Webster, Minn./Northfield) generated 10 digs and two service aces.
The Warhawks took an 18-12 lead in the first set, but Ithaca embarked on a 7-1 run to tie the set at 19-19. The two teams traded points, and UW-W had a pair of set points turned away. The Bombers scored the final three points to take a 1-0 match lead.
The two teams traded points in the second before UW-Whitewater gained separation midway through the set. Leading 17-13, the Warhawks ran off the final eight points of the set on Mackenthun's serve to level the match at 1-1.
Ithaca held a 7-4 advantage in the third set before a 12-3 run gave UW-Whitewater a 16-10 lead. UW-W continued to gain separation, eventually leading by a 21-11 margin. Weinfurt put the set away with a kill on the final point.
The Warhawks jumped out to a 6-2 advantage in the fourth and didn't look back. Mackenthun served UW-W to a 10-point lead, which grew to as many as 13.
Friday's contest is a rematch of the first round of the 2019 NCAA Touranment, when Otterbein topped UW-Whitewater in four sets at the Chicago Regional. The Cardinals lead the all-time series between the two teams by a 2-1 margin.
Otterbein (24-5) is a Pool C (at-large) qualifier out of the Ohio Athletic Conference.
