V-Hawks Advance To NSAA Finals

WATERTOWN, S.D. – The Viterbo University Women's Volleyball team, ranked #5 in the most recent NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll, topped Dakota State (SD) in the semifinals of the NSAA Conference Tournament. The top-seeded V-Hawks improve to 29-4 (12-0 NSAA) on the year, and look forward to the Championship Round, while the fourth seeded Trojans end their season with a 16-15 record (6-6 NSAA).

Grace Rohde recorded the first two kills of the match for the V-Hawks, and an ace from Cailie Kowal gave VU an early 8-3 lead. After a Sadie Treptow kill, Rohde and Martina McGrath combined for a block and a, 11-6 advantage. The Trojans committed a variety of erros, and Jada Mitchel added three kills as the V-Hawks won the first, 25-17.

Winker contributed two kills to an early 4-0 run for Viterbo, but DSU would still build a 10-7 lead. McGrath put down a kill, followed by Treptow to make it a one points game, but two block assists from Gwendolyn Vongkasemsiri gave the Trojans a three-point lead. The teams traded points from there out, the V-Hawks never managing to tie the game, or take the lead.

The third set was just as close, with six ties by time the score reached 10-10. McGrath recorded multiple kills as the score continued to reach ties. Tretow recorded a solo block followed by a Mitchell kill as Viterbo slowly built a lead. McGrath and Grace Peyron combined for a block and Kenidi McCabe served an ace for a huge, 3-0 late run. McGrath and Peyron had another block to end the set 25-21.

Treptow and McGrath had back-to-back blocks to go up 8-4, and a third for the 11-5 lead. Mitchell's kills and Trojan errors helped Viterbo take control. Rohde added an ace of her own, Maddie Connor earned an ace, and one final Treptow-McGrath block ended the match.

Mitchel led all players with 17 kills while hitting .500, Winker added 16, and Rohde contributed 11. Connor dished 30 assisted, and Cailie Kowal had 22. McCabe led with 22 digs, and McGrath had seven blocks. Brooklyn Grage had 16 kills for the Trojans.

The V-Hawks will take on the three-seeded #18 Bellevue Bruins (Neb.) in the NSAA Conference Championship game on Saturday at 2 PM.