Women's volleyball reaches NCAA tournament

Published: April 13, 2021

Box Score - Fontbonne (Semifinal)
Video Archive - Fontbonne (Semifinal)
Box Score - Westminster (Final)
Video Archive - Westminster (Final)

GREENVILLE, Ill. -- The women's volleyball team accomplished a SLIAC feat unattained since 2009 as it won both an outright SLIAC league championship and then entered the NCAA tournament as conference tournament champions.

The title match between Greenville and Westminster lived up to its billing, running five sets in a match between teams that had split its contests in the regular season.

Westminster took the first two sets 25-23 and 26-24 before Greenville rattled off 25-18, 25-21, 15-13 wins in the final three sets.

Hannah Baker had arguably the greatest match of her career with 20 kills and four errors in 45 attempts to hit at a 35.6 percent clip.

Savannah Sells produced 18 kills, and all-tournament team member Allyson Mitchell had 16 kills.

Laune tallied 56 assists.

All-tournament recipient Emily Thebeau had nine digs and came up with three service aces in the championship.

Tournament most valuable player Jamie Schollenbruch posted 39 digs, and Sierah Ruffner contributed three solo blocks and seven block assists.

Greenville cruised into the final with a straight sets 26-24, 25-18, 25-18 win over Fontbonne.

In the Fontbonne match Mitchell had 14 kills, and Laune added 35 assists.

A quartet of Lady Panthers had 12 or 13 digs as Schollenbruch and Sells posted 13, and Mitchell and Baker had 12.

Mitchell and Ruffner chipped in four block assists.

The Lady Panthers (24-7) will await their NCAA tournament assignment which will become known on Monday. Greenville last competed in the NCAA tournament in 2010 when it faced Heidelberg.