Related Links:WIAC Championship Web Page The No. 8 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team recovered from a slow start in its regular season finale Saturday to defeat Dominican (Ill.) 19-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-22 in a non-conference contest at Russell Arena.
The Warhawks (28-4 overall) matched a season high with 14 team blocks to finish the regular season with a 14-0 mark in home matches.
UW-Whitewater begins postseason play this Tuesday in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. UW-Whitewater, the No. 3 seed, hosts sixth-seeded UW-Stout at 7 p.m. at Russell Arena.
Junior outside hitter
Lauren Pfeifer (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) collected 19 kills, nine digs and six blocks to lead the Warhawks. Senior right side hitter
Brittney Langley (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) posted 10 kills and three blocks, while junior setter
Staci Hasler (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) filled the box score with 41 assists, eight kills, six digs, three service aces and three blocks.
Sophomore middle hitter
Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, Ill./Dekalb) registered six kills and a career-high eight blocks. Freshman middle hitter
Kelley Berk (Cedarburg, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) added five kills and six blocks.
Freshman libero
Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) recorded 33 digs to lead the defense. Junior defensive specialist
Tessa Weber (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) had 19 digs, and senior defensive specialist
Jaclyn Krizka (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) finished with 13 digs and five assists.
The Stars (23-9) turned a 6-6 tie into a 14-8 advantage midway through the first set. UW-Whitewater, which hadn't lost a first set at home all season entering the match, got as close as four points the rest of the way, and Dominican took a 1-0 match advantage.
The Stars jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second, but the Warhawks quickly rallied and turned a 12-10 deficit into a 16-13 lead midway through. UW-Whitewater never trailed in the period from that point, leveling the match at 1-1.
In the third, the Warhawks never trailed, taking the lead after breaking a 7-7 tie on a kill by Hasler. Dominican got as close as 19-17 late in the set, but a block by Berk and Langley and a kill by Berk doubled the lead for UW-Whitewater, which went on to win the last four points in the set.
The Warhawks and Stars traded points early in the fourth before UW-Whitewater took the lead for good on the serve of Robinson with a 5-0 run to erase an 8-7 deficit. Leading 18-15, UW-Whitewater tallied four straight points on Weber's serve to take control of the match.
