The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's volleyball team saw their 2022 season come to a close with a 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-20) loss to the University of Northwestern-St. Paul in a NCAA Regional Championship match Saturday evening.
 
The final came down to the top two seeds in the regional – top-seeded and host institution UNW and the number two seed UWW. The Warhawks defeated Cornell College and Gustavus Adolphus on their way to the regional final while the Eagles went through North Park and UW-Stevens Point.
 
The Warhawks came back from an early deficit to tie set one 6-6 and eventually UWW built a 16-12 lead in the set. The Eagles came flying back with five in a row to reclaim the advantage 17-16. Later, with the set tied 20-20, Kirsten Anderson (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) hammered down a kill. Fellow middle hitter Hannah Proctor (Durand, Ill./Durand) followed with another kill to make it 22-20. UNW halted the run with a kill of their own before UWW ran off three straight courtesy of Eagle miscues for the first set win.
 
Northwestern outhit the Warhawks to even the match in set two.
 
UW-Whitewater hit .275 hammering down 16 kills to outhit their opponent in the third set but the Eagles came away with the win to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Northwestern used the momentum to put together their most efficient offensive set of the match hitting .308 to register the win.
 
Three Warhawks tallied double digit kills led by Anderson's 13. She hit .400 in the match. Outside hitter Jenna Weinfurt (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) pounded down 11 while right side Erin McNeil (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) added 10. Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) dug up 21 attack attempts while setters KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) and Emma Bludgen (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) combined for 40 assists.
 
Both squads won their respective conferences with unblemished records earning automatic bids into NCAA regional action. The Warhawks close 2022 ranked 11^th with a 27-7 record, their 18^th WIAC regular season title, 17^th WIAC Tournament championship and 33^rd NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. The fourth-ranked Eagles advance to the final eight with a 33-2 mark.