Regals net first NCAA national team title

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Nov. 21, 2015) They say that the third time is the charm and the Cal Lutheran women’s volleyball team, in its third NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball National title match appearance, got over the hump and hoisted the championship trophy to represent the first NCAA team title in school history.

Since joining the NCAA from NAIA status in 1991, just three women’s volleyball teams have made it to the final day of the collegiate season. Twice before, 1995 and 2013, the teams came up points short to be named national runner-up. This time things were different and the wait is over.

It was an absolutely incredible ending to an amazing career for senior Allie Eason, with family in the stands from all over the world, who was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She contributed with 13 kills, two service aces, eight digs and a block assist in the win. Eason was the only player on the court with double figure kills tonight.

Joining Eason on the All-Tournament team were juniors Michelle Lawrence and Nicki Tetherow. Lawrence, battling the flu, chipped in with eight kills, a solo block and a block assist while Tetherow guided the defensive unit with 10 digs and more vocal leadership than is apparent in any box score. Amanda Roberts paced all players with 14 digs and added six kills for the Regals. Monica Lundgren was second on the team with nine kills, on just 14 swings, and Jamie Smith tallied 34 assists with a .667 hitting percentage that came from a pair of kills on three attempts. As a team, the Violet and Gold got stronger as the match went on, hitting at an overall .267 clip after second and third sets of .321 and .382, respectively.

A slow start turned into a surge on the shoulders of Eason. After Lundgren gave Cal Lutheran its first lead of the day, following an Eason kill, the senior went back to serve and sparked a 6-0 run that ultimately led to a 25-23 first set victory, the closest of the day.

The momentum into the second was apparent as Cal Lutheran opened an 8-1 lead that included three straight kills from Lundgren and the Regals opened the gap to as many as eight points during the game that they controlled, winning 25-18.

After a 10-minute break between sets, the Violet and Gold stormed back onto the court to take a 3-0 lead and force another quick Wittenberg timeout. The Regals never trailed and completely controlled the pace of play on the court with a 25-16 win. Fittingly, the ball was in Eason’s hands for the final two points, serving the first that ended in a Lundgren kill and the final serve of her career, the game and match concluded with a block from Lawrence and Lundgren, which sent blue and white confetti flying all over the Van Noord Arena.

Wittenberg (29-3) was led by eight kills from Melissa Emming, 16 assists from Courtney Hick and 11 digs from Kara Seidenstricker. Overall, Wittenberg was held to a .087 team hitting percentage and was limited to under .100 in the final two sets.

Also earning All-Tournament honors were Karen Chin (Carthage), Stephanie Korbakes (Carthage), Seidenstricker and Camila Quinones (Wittenberg).

The 2015 Cal Lutheran team becomes just the third squad to surpass the 30-win plateau, joining the 1987 (31-7) team and 2013 (35-2) with a 31-5 overall record.