CALVIN / UW-WHITEWATER PRESS CONFERENCE

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The 19th-ranked Calvin University women's volleyball team defeated 13th-ranked UW-Whitewater 3-1 by the scores of 29-27, 12-25, 25-23 and 25-18 on Friday night to advance to the NCAA III Tournament Regional Final at Illinois Wesleyan University.
 
Calvin (27-3) won the back-and-forth thriller with the help of a tremendous front row defensive effort as the Knights finished with 18 total blocks, the most by a Calvin team in one match since the 2018 NCAA III semifinal against UW-Eau Claire.
 
The first set featured 14 ties and seven lead changes as the two programs went back and forth. Calvin fought off a set point at 24-23 with an assisted block by Emma Ekblaw (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) and Sarah Bradley (Clarkston, Mich/Everest Collegiate) before finally taking the set with a service ace from Grace Spoelma (Caledonia, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) that found the back line to give the Knights a 29-27 win.
 
Aerin Baker (Saugatuck, Mich./Saugatuck) got off to a strong start with six kills in the set while Ekblaw recorded three of the Knights' six blocks in the set.
 
After a dominant second set from UW-Whitewater (26-8) evened the match at 1-1, Calvin overcame an early third-set deficit to wrestle the lead back at 15-14. Clinging to a 24-23 lead on set point, Tryna Vander Zwaag (Hamilton, Mich./Holland Christian) dove to keep a play alive and the Knights secured the final point on a Warhawk attack error to take the set 25-23 and a 2-1 overall lead in the match.
 
The Knights forced 11 attack errors in the third set from the Warhawks with the help of four more blocks, while Baker paced the Calvin attack with three kills.
 
UWW started strong in the fourth set and built a 10-4 lead early, but the Calvin block came to life once again as the Knights blocked eight Warhawk attacks in the set as Calvin methodically built a lead and closed out the win.
 
Baker had five more kills in the set while Ekblaw had three kills and six blocks to lead the front row attack.
 
Eklaw finished the day with 10 total blocks to go with 12 kills while Mary Boa (Atlanta, Ga./Riverwood International Charter) had eight blocks and five kills. Madison Wiersema (Fremont, Mich./Western Michigan Christian/Arkansas St.) also had five kills and seven blocks.
 
Baker led the attack with 15 total kills. Bradley finished with six kills and five blocks.
 
Vander Zwaag led the Knights with 15 digs and two service aces. Delaney Kemp (Frisco, Texas/Frisco Centennial) finished with a team-best 24 assists.
 
The win marks the first time the Knights have advanced to the NCAA III Regional Final since the 2022 season and the 15th time Calvin has made it to at least the third round under head coach Dr. Amber Warners.

COACHES COMMENT: "I thought we played incredibly well at the net to off-set some of their really strong hitters," said Calvin head coach Amber Warners. "I was happy with the mentality that we came out with tonight. It sounds cliche' but we really wanted to extend our season because wanted to be together for another day. We play a lot better when we play for each other and that's what we did tonight."
 
NEXT UP: Calvin women's volleyball advanced to the regional final, where it will face second-ranked and regional host Illinois Wesleyan at 5:00 PM (CT).