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2021 WIAC Volleyball Tournament Web Page
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team will host UW-Stevens Point this Thursday at 7 p.m. in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal at Russell Arena.
Thursday's match can be viewed live on UWW-TV on channel 100.1 on campus, Spectrum channel 989 for customers in the Whitewater area, or
online.
The Warhawks (25-1 overall) enter the postseason ranked eighth in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and second in Region VIII according to the latest NCAA Regional Rankings. UW-W earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament by placing second in the regular season standings.
UW-Stevens Point (26-6), the No. 3 seed in the tournament, punched its ticket to the semifinals Tuesday with a 3-0 victory against UW-Platteville. The Pointers are third in the latest NCAA Region VIII rankings and tied for 22nd in the AVCA Division III Coaches Poll.
The winner of Thursday's match will play in the championship match Saturday at the home site of the highest remaining seed.
UW-Whitewater enters the postseason on a 17-match winning streak, suffering its lone loss of the season on Sept. 22 at UW-Eau Claire.
Outside hitters
Erin McNeil (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) and
Jenna Weinfurt (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) lead the Warhawk offense. Weinfurt enters Thursday's match with a team-best 258 kills (3.15 per set) on a .202 hitting percentage with 51 blocks, while McNeil is second with 206 kills (2.48 per set) on a .297 hitting percentage with 46 blocks.
Morgan Wardall (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) and
Kirsten Anderson (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) lead UW-Whitewater in the middle. Wardall leads the team with a .366 hitting percentage on 168 kills (2.10 per set), and owns a team-high 75 blocks (0.94 per set). Anderson's impressive first season of competition includes 71 blocks (0.90 per set), 142 kills (1.80 per set) and a .340 hitting percentage.
Emma Aske (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) and
Baylie Hansen (Bonduel, Wis./Shawano) have also played integral roles for the offensive attack. Aske begins the postseason with 133 kills (1.71 per set) and is third on the team with 181 digs (2.32 per set), while Hansen, the team's right side hitter, has posted 101 kills (1.31 per set) and 46 blocks.
KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) and
Paige Manssen (Bull Valley, Ill./McHenry West) set the table for the attackers. Sotiros enters the tournament with a team-best 484 assists (5.83 per set) to go with 34 service aces and 184 digs, and Manssen begins the postseason with 352 assists (4.24 per set) with 28 service aces and 150 digs.
Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) and
Hailey Mackenthun (Webster, Minn./Northfield) lead the back row. Jensen leads the team in both digs (417 / 4.91 per set) and service aces (38). Mackenthun has 155 digs and 22 service aces entering the week.
The Warhawks have won a league-best 16 WIAC Tournament championships. The team owns a 69-19 record all time in the conference tournament matches.
