ST. PAUL – The top-seeded University of Northwestern volleyball team (34-6) will make its third-straight trip to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16, as the Eagles swept the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (22-7) inside the Ericksen Center Friday night. UNW moves on to play Gustavus Adolphus Saturday night in the St. Paul Regional Championship.



The Eagles cruised to a sweep with set score wins of 25-19, 25-20 and 25-22 against the WIAC regular season and tournament champion. UNW hit .200, while UWL was held to a .134 hitting percentage. Northwestern's strong serve also caused problems, as the Eagles racked up five aces.

Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) put together a double-double with her second-straight 16-kill match. The senior added 13 digs. Mariah Halvorsen posted seven slams, while Leesa Malone (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie)'s 20 assists jumpstarted the attack. Defensively, Jackie Doering (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) led all players with 21 digs, while Peterson also racked up four blocks.



First serve Saturday is slated for 7 p.m. Fans can find more information at www.unweagles.com.

Notes
UNW's 34 victories ties a school record.
UNW topped UWL for the second straight year in a regional semifinal.