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16 vb regional champ photo
0
Edinboro EDIN 25-9
3
Winner Wheeling Jesuit WJU 41-2
Edinboro EDIN
25-9
0
Final
3
Wheeling Jesuit WJU
41-2
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Edinboro EDIN 15 19 15 (0)
Wheeling Jesuit WJU 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball | | Chris Myers

Cardinals claim sixth-straight regional title; Benner earns 500th win

WHEELING, W.Va. – The defending National Champion Wheeling Jesuit volleyball will have the opportunity to defend its title after it swept past Edinboro, 3-0, Sunday night and recorded its sixth-straight Regional title. 
 
The Cardinals (41-2) built leads in the opening two sets and pulled away late in the third set and defeated the Fighting Scots (25-9) by scores of 25-15, 25-19 and 25-15.
 
"I, first, want to congratulate Edinboro as they are a great team and fought the whole weekend and gave all they had," said Benner. "I am super excited for our team of great girls, for our six seniors and the opportunity to play for another National Championship."
 
With the victory, the WJU players gave head coach Christy Benner her 500th-coaching win over 15 seasons. The 2016 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Atlantic Region Coach of the Year is now 500-116 for a .812-win percentage over 15 seasons directing the Cardinals.
6013
Libero Samantha Obringer was selected to the All-Tournament Team
 

"For Matt (Benner, her husband and assistant coach) and I to be doing this for 15 years, the thought never came to my mind that we would be coaching for 500 matches, no matter winning 500," explained Benner of her milestone. "It is fun to win. We have goals and it is a true testament to all the players' hard work and effort we have had over the years."
 
Atlantic Region Player of the Year Haley Kindall pounded 13 kills without an error in 19 attacks for a .684 hit percentage with six total blocks.
 
The Atlantic Region Most Outstanding Player Kayce Krucki produced seven kills, 12 digs, two blocks and an ace. She totaled 30 kills in nine sets for the weekend.
 
The Cardinals move on to their sixth NCAA Division II Elite Eight in a row. No. 4 WJU joins No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul, No. 9 Alaska-Anchorage, No. 10 Palm Beach Atlantic, No. 12 Angelo State, No. 18 Lewis, South Carolina-Aiken and American International in next week's Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, S.D., Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 8-10. 
 
WJU never trailed in either of the first two sets and the results were 25-15 and 25-19 wins. Lauran Graves killed the match's first point and killed the final three first-set points. In set two, Kindall opened with two kills and a combo block third point, before the senior lined the final-point kill. 
 
"They (Edinboro) came out serving tough and we adjusted a bit. We blocked and covered well, while Sam (Obringer) covered our back row," stated Benner. "
"It was an all-around team effort," added Kindall. "We were able to get a lot of ball up (from Edinboro's attacks) as our defensive serve and receive played well."
 
In what would be the match-clinching set, the Scots held its one and only lead at 6-5, before the Cardinals tied the match back on the next point. Tied at 8-8, Kindall killed the next point and the Scots committed three attack errors in a row. WJU took the match from there, before Kindall hit the final kill for the 25th and final point, 25-15.
 
Edinboro's LaToya Hutchinson paced her squad with 11 kills.
 
Cardinals' setter Andrea Thobe added 34 assists, four kills, 13 digs and a block. Kramer chipped in eight kills, 15 digs and a pair of blocks. Graves totaled six kills and Obringer had eight digs.
 
WJU will learn it Elite Eight opponent on Monday afternoon, Dec. 5.
 
NCAA DII Volleyball Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team
 
Annie Goerl - Outside Hitter - Shppensburg
Makenzie Harrison - Outside Hitter - Fairmont State
Danielle Hayes - Outside Hitter - California
Hannah Kren - Outside Hitter - Gannon
Maura Brehl - Outside Hitter - Pitt-Johnstown
LaToya Hutchinson - Middle Hitter - Edinboro
Victoria Severo - Middle Hitter - Edinboro
Sydney Trathen - Setter - Edinboro
Andrea Thobe - Setter - Wheeling Jesuit
Samantha Obringer - Libero - Wheeling Jesuit
Haley Kindall - Middle Blocker - Wheeling Jesuit
Kayce Krucki - Outside Hitter - Wheeling Jesuit
 
Kayce Krucki, Wheeling Jesuit - Most Outstanding Player
 
 
 
 
-GoCards-
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