Upset highlights Women's Volleyball Tournament Semifinals
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - (TOURNAMENT PAGE) - Top-seeded Cornerstone and third-seeded Indiana Tech advanced out of the semifinals of the 2022 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Women's Volleyball Tournament. Indiana Tech started the night by upsetting second-seeded Siena Heights in four sets. Cornerstone capped off the night with a four-set thriller over fourth-seeded Madonna.
Indiana Tech and Cornerstone will face off in the tournament championship on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. at Cornerstone. Both teams have already qualified for the NAIA National Championship Opening Round as Cornerstone took the league's first berth as regular-season champs and Indiana Tech received the second auto berth by qualifying for the finals.
#3 Indiana Tech (28-6) def. #2 Siena Heights (24-8), 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-20)
Indiana Tech avenged two regular-season losses to Siena Heights with the 3-1 win. SHU jumped to an early 7-1 lead to open the match and never trailed in the first set. Tech closed the gap to two a couple of times with the last being at 22-20 before SHU won three of the next four points for the 1-0 advantage. The two teams played the second set with neither gaining more than a three-point lead until Tech went ahead by four at 16-12. That kill by Emma Westra was at the front of three straight points for the Warriors that SHU could not overcome for a 1-1 set count. Tech scored the first five points of the third stanza to take command. The Saints scored the next two points only to see IT go on a 7-1 run and cruise to the victory. IT went up 11-3 in the fourth and expanded the lead to as many as 11 at 21-10. SHU chipped away with an 8-2 run, but Tech held fast.
Stat Leaders
Kills: VanOort 12 (IT); Wagner 12 (SHU)
Assists: Bates 44 (SHU); Schriver 21 (IT)
Digs: Osborne 31 (SHU); Blust 24 (IT)
Blocks: Cummings 5 (IT); Wagner, Norman 4 (SHU)
#1 Cornerstone (31-3) def. #4 Madonna (15-13), 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 25-23)
Top-seeded Cornerstone pushed away a huge test by Madonna to advance to the championship. The Golden Eagles jumped to a 6-0 lead in the opening set, but Madonna bounced back with five points and hung around within a few points until Kathryn Detweiler's kill gave CU a four-point lead at 11-7. The teams traded points, but Cornerstone expanded the cushion for the first set. Madonna rallied in the second stanza and took the lead at 14-13 after trailing early on and pushed it to 16-13 thanks to a pair of service aces by Ryley Osentoski. CU tied it briefly at 16, but five straight points by Madonna forced a Cornerstone time out. CU closed the gap to 21-19, but three kills and a service ace later gave Madonna the win. Cornerstone started the third set with a 5-1 run only to see the Crusaders storm back and take a two-point lead at 10-8 when Tauri Hintz's kill capped a 6-1 run. After trading points, Cornerstone took the lead for the final time at 17-16 and held off the Madonna threat. Set four proved to be the tightest as the teams battled back-and-forth within a couple of points of each other until CU enjoyed a four-point lead at 17-13. MU battled back to tie the set at 22 on a kill by Molly Miller, but Detweiler slammed one and MU made an attack error to put the Golden Eagles up by tow at 24-22. An attack error on CU gave Madonna life, but Kylie Barron's kill closed out the set and match.
Stat Leaders
Kills: Detweiler 16 (CU); Porter, Miller 10 (MU)
Assists: Lenz 45 (CU); Stoneburner 33 (MU)
Digs: Morris 32 (CU); Ciacico 18 (MU)
Blocks: Dykema 5 (CU); Porter 4 (MU)