WHITEWATER — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team punched its ticket to Salem with a sweep in the Sweet 16 over UW-Platteville 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-19) Saturday, Nov. 23 in Russell Arena. 

The NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship will be held at the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia beginning with quarterfinal matchups on Dec. 4. The championship match is slated for Dec. 7.

It was a memorable night in Russell Arena Saturday as the Warhawks dominated to hoist the Regional Championship trophy. UWW hit .337 in the match while holding the Pioneers to just .085 — much to the credit of the Warhawks’ huge block. UW-Whitewater registered 15 blocks in the contest compared to just three for UWP. 

Following the conclusion of the match, Abbie Dix, a Brodhead graduate, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the regional. She recorded five kills and eight blocks.

UW-Whitewater’s block was one of the main components of the regional, as the Warhawks remain atop the national rankings with 3.14 blocks per set — the next closest in Division III is 2.85 per set. In regional action alone, UWW averaged 4.83 blocks per set. Dix became the nation’s top blocker along the way averaging 1.59 per set. That mark ballooned to 2.67 per set in the three regional matches.

The Warhawks are one of two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) programs to advance, as UW-Oshkosh will also compete in Salem. The other six teams include Hope, Johns Hopkins, Emory, Washington & Lee, La Verne and Juniata. The Final 8 are reseeded after the completion of all regional rounds. 

UW-Whitewater is no stranger to the postseason, as the Warhawks are amid their 35th appearance in the national tournament. UWW has won two national titles, finished as the national runner-up three times, placed third twice and fourth once along the way. This will be the first appearance for the Warhawks in the Final 8 since 2007.