Falcons Sweep Scarlet Hawks in NACC Tournament Quarterfinals

MEQUON, Wis. - The Concordia University Wisconsin women's volleyball team advanced to the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) tournament semifinals with a 3-0 sweep of Illinois Tech, securing set scores of 32-30, 25-19, and 25-18.

With the win, the Falcons improved to 10-1 at the R. John Buuck Fieldhouse and 17-10 overall. They have now won 11 of their last 12 matches.

Illinois Tech came out determined to pull off the upset, putting up a tough fight in the opening set. The two teams exchanged 15 ties and seven lead changes, with the Scarlet Hawks establishing an eight-point advantage at 21-13. 

But CUW showed resilience, slowly chipping away at the deficit. Junior Abby Proefrock (Grafton, Wis.) sparked the rally, beginning with a kill followed by an Illinois Tech attacking error.

Proefrock's biggest impact came from the service line, where she ignited a 7-0 CUW run, including three consecutive service aces, to tie the set at 22-22. 

Despite Illinois Tech briefly taking a two-point lead, CUW responded with a service error from the Scarlet Hawks, followed by a kill from sophomore Skylar Kumprey (New Berlin, Wis.) and a service ace by junior Paige Stickney (Menomonee Falls, Wis.), giving the Falcons a narrow 25-24 lead.

The set was far from over, with both teams fighting through multiple set points. Illinois Tech had two opportunities at set point as they led 26-25 and 29-28, but the Falcons refused to let up. After another IIT error and a clutch swing from junior Mickenzi Benter (De Pere, Wis.), assisted by freshman McKenna Oetzman (Reedsburg, Wis.), CUW sealed the dramatic win.

In the second set, the game was tied at 11-11 before the Falcons made a strong push to take a four-point lead. CUW held this advantage throughout the remainder of the set, crossing the 20-point mark with a kill from Kumprey, assisted by senior Anna Bohrer (Verona, Wis.). 

The Falcons maintained control, ultimately winning 25-19 with key kills from Proefrock and Kumprey.

Riding the momentum from the first two sets, CUW stormed out to an early lead in the third set, with junior Noelle Smith (Davenport, Iowa) contributing a kill and the Falcons benefiting from Illinois Tech's errors. 

The lead grew to six after a kill by Stickney and a point from sophomore Emily Dickmann (Grafton, Wis.).

CUW closed out the match in dominating fashion, with contributions from Benter, Stickney, Kumprey, and Proefrock. 

Stickney was particularly effective in the final moments, recording three of her 11 kills in the last seven points, along with an ace. 

The final two points came from Dickmann, off a pass from junior Brianna Lundt (Brandon, Wis.), with Smith clinching the victory with a kill to make it 25-18.

As a team, the Falcons hit .185 and limited Illinois Tech to a .070 attacking percentage. CUW also outdug the Scarlet Hawks, totaling 66 digs compared to IIT's 56.

Individually, Stickney led the way with 11 kills and an impressive .476 hitting percentage. Smith added eight kills and two solo blocks, while Kumprey recorded seven kills. 

Oetzman tallied a game-high 20 assists, and Dickmann contributed 14 assists, one ace, and eight digs. Proefrock led CUW with three service aces, while Lundt led the defense with 16 digs. Proefrock and senior Emma Essex (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) each chipped in with 14 digs.

The Falcons will continue their NACC Tournament run on Thursday, hosting St. Norbert College at 7pm in the semifinals.