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Edgewood College edges Dominican for first NCAA bid
Box
Score
RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Edgewood College volleyball team
faced more adversity in the Northern Athletics Conference
Tournament, and once again they were up to the challenge. The
Eagles were two points from a sweep of top-seeded Dominican in the
third set, and then held off a Stars rally in the fifth set for a
thrilling 3-2 victory in the title game. The win puts Edgewood
College into the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in
school history.
Dominican (28-6) opened up an 11-7 lead in the first set before
Edgewood College (21-13) called a timeout and made a run. Mallory
Palmer sparked 6-0 spurt with back-to-back kills and
Kristin
Manske followed with consecutive aces to force a Star
timeout. Palmer and Sarah
Schuchhardt recorded kills to put the Eagles up 15-12
after the timeout. Edgewood College held that lead and Palmer ended
the 25-18 first set win with another kill.
The second set was tied at 19 before the Eagles took control.
Jessica
Martin put the Eagles ahead with one of her 12 kills in
the match and Palmer followed with an ace. Martin had another kill
and after a Star setting error, the Eagles forced a Dominican
timeout leading 23-18. Aryn
Wellnitz gave the Eagles a chance at set point and Manske
ended the set with one of her six kills. Edgewood College took a
2-0 lead with the 25-21 second set win.
Edgewood College looked primed and ready to take the clean sweep
in the third set, but the Stars didn't give up. The Eagles held a
23-20 advantage when Claire Dezelski started a run with a kill.
Dezelski recorded another kill on the 5-0 run, giving the Stars the
25-23 set win. Dominican carried their momentum to the fourth set,
en route to the 25-15 set victory and forced a decisive fifth set
for the NAC Title.
Palmer and Schuchhardt quickly thwarted the momentum to start the
fifth set, as Palmer recorded and kill and Shcuchhardt pounded home
consecutive kills to put the Eagles up 3-0. The Stars answered with
a 4-0 run before the set went back-and-forth. Jacy Lawrence tied
the set at 11 before Palmer and Schuchhardt answered with
back-to-back kills. Lawrence recorded another kill before Wellnitz
gave the Eagles a pair of chances at championship point. Lawrence
had another kill and the Stars evened the set at 14 before Martin
gave the Eagles an all-important side out. Martin and Manske teamed
up for a block to give Edgewood College the 16-14 win and the NAC
Tournament Championship.
Palmer led the Eagles with 19 kills and 23 digs for her fourth
straight double-double. Martin and Schuchhardt followed with 12
kills apiece while Wellnitz and Manske recorded six kills apiece.
Laura
Sweeney and Sam
Himmelspach were the only two Eagles in double figures
with 17 and 14 digs, respectively. Lindsey
Swansby led the Eagles with 51 assists.
With the win, Edgewood College earns their first NAC Tournament
Championship and qualified for the NCAA Division III Volleyball
Championships. The Eagles last played in a national tournament in
1994, when they reached the NAIA National Tournament.
Edgewood College will learn their first round opponent and
regional site in an NCAA Selection Show webcast on Monday morning
at 10:00 a.m. Anyone interested in viewing the tournament
selections are welcome to join the team at 10:00 a.m. in Wingra
Café at Edgewood College. EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com
will post the bracket as soon as possible after the selections are
announced.
