FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- The Siena Heights women's volleyball team was eliminated from the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) tournament with a 3-0 loss to Indiana Tech on Tuesday night. Victoria Nerkowski led the Saints with nine kills and a hitting percentage of .419 in the losing effort.
THE BASICS
Final Score: Indiana Tech 3, SHU 0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-19)
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana (Schaefer Center)
Records: Indiana Tech (16-7, 12-5 WHAC), Siena Heights (9-9, 8-9 WHAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams traded leads and ties for the opening eight points of the first set until the Warriors took a 9-4 lead with a 5-0 run. A 4-0 run extended the lead to 13-5 and Indiana Tech never looked back on the way to a 25-16 win that led to the 1-0 lead.
Tech jumped out a 3-0 lead in the second and never trailed on the way to building a 24-15 lead before taking the 2-0 lead after winning the set. The Saints recorded a team hitting percentage of .143 while the Warriors hit for a match-high .400.
Siena Heights continued to fight as the score was tied seven times up to a deadlock at 11 points. The Saints kept the score close even cutting the deficit to one point, 18-17, late in the third set. Back-to-back kills by the Warriors increased the lead to 20-17. Indiana Tech scored five of the final six points of the set to end the match with a 25-19 decision.
TOP SAINTS
• Nerkowski added three blocks (1s, 2a) and a dig to her totals.
• Autumn Anderson finished with five kills, four blocks (1s, 3a), and three digs.
• Aubrey Bates totaled 21 assists and seven digs to contribute on both sides of the ball.
• Kadie Carsten anchored the defensive effort of SHU with a team-high 10 digs.
• Sam Huddleston finished with nine digs.
THE OPPOSITION
• Olivia Niekamp led with 13 kills.
• Jacey Blust recorded 18 digs to lead the defense.
SEASON WRAP UP
The Saints finish this unusual season with an even 9-9 overall record and an 8-8 mark in league play. The team finished the regular season sitting fifth in the WHAC standings.
