Calvin University was crowned the NCAA Division III Regional Champion over the weekend after going 3-0 in tournament matches over the weekend. Hope College also competed over the weekend, but fell at Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the NCAA Regional Final.
Calvin (30-3) will face Trinity University (34-2) in the national quarterfinal on Thursday, November 18, in St. Louis, Missouri.
How it Happened - Calvin
The fifth-ranked Knights opened the NCAA Regional Tournament at Otterbein with a 3-0 sweep (25-10, 25-22, 25-10) against Penn St.-Behrend on Thursday. Calvin hit .305, while the Lions only hit .021. The Knights had a 10-3 edge in blocks and led 48-38 in digs. Heidi Westra led the team with a game-best 11 kills and a team-high 11 digs, while Madelyn Hall recorded a match best of six blocks. Both Westra and Hall earned a match-high 14 points for Calvin.
On Friday, the Knights notched a 3-1 victory over Wittenberg in the Second Round. Calvin won the first set 25-19. After dropping the second set 25-21 to the Tigers, Calvin won the next two 25-17 and 27-25. Westra once again led the squad with a team-best 19 kills. Theresa Kehn had a team high of 15 digs and Vanessa Martinez recorded a match-best seven blocks. The Knights hit .312 and led 10-7 in blocks and 5-3 in aces.
Calvin took down No. 24 Otterbein, 3-1, on Saturday to claim the NCAA Regional Tournament title. The Cardinals edged the Knights in the first set, 25-21. Calvin came back in the next four sets (25-20, 25-21, 25-23), however, to secure a spot in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Westra totaled a match-best 22 kills and Hall concluded the day with a match-high seven blocks. Aubrey Wrubel and Anna Schriemer each had 16 digs. Calvin led in both digs (64-53) and blocks (12-8).
How it Happened - Hope
The No. 6-Flying Dutch began the NCAA Regional Tournament at Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a 3-1 victory over Whitworth on Thursday. Hope won the first set 25-19. After dropping the second set 25-21, the Flying Dutch edged the Pirates in the next two sets, 25-20 and 26-24. Hope led 12-7 in blocks and both teams recorded seven aces. McKenna Otto led with match bests in points (24), kills (17), blocks (6) and aces (3), while Maggie Wehrmeyer had a match high of 19 digs.
Hope earned another 3-1 victory, this time over 15th-ranked Northwestern (Minn.) in the Second Round of regional play. The Flying Dutch won the first two sets 25-22 and 25-21, but fell 25-19 in the third set. A 25-23 fourth-set victory secured their spot in the final match. Hope led 7-4 in blocks and 8-6 in aces. Molly Ligon had a match-best four blocks. Wehrmeyer totaled 22 digs, while Otto and Anna Grunewald each had 12 kills. Otto also tallied a team high of 16.5 points.
Hope fell 3-1 to eighth-ranked host Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the Regional Final on Saturday. The Flying Dutch won the first set 25-18, but dropped the next three (25-22, 25-21, 25-12). Hope and the Blugolds each had six blocks. Charlotte Brecht led the squad with a match-best five blocks. Wehrmeyer totaled 19 digs, while Otto finished with 17 kills and 17.5 points.
