ST. PAUL – The top-seeded University of Northwestern volleyball team (33-6) swept Cornell College (25-8) in an NCAA Division III St. Paul Regional quarterfinal Thursday in front of a packed Ericksen Center. The Eagles advance to Fridays' semifinal contest with UW-La Crosse at 7 p.m. UWL defeated the College of Saint Benedict, 3-1.



UNW's attack found its groove early and often as the Eagles compiled a .316 hitting percentage, including a .371 set one tally, en route to slamming 45 kills on the night.

Central Region Player of the Year Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) floored a match-high 16 kills, while Mariah Halvorsen had a strong night, posting 10 kills. Halvorsen hit an impressive .348.

Defensively, Kayla Tanner (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) was strong at the net, racking up a match-best six blocks, while Leesa Hulstrand put up four stuffs. Hulstrand also tallied 20 assists, while Jackie Doering (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) posted 10 digs.

UNW held a 7-4 advantage in blocks and had 56 points, while Cornell notched 47.

Friday's first semifinal will feature Wartburg and Gustavus.



More information on the regional can be found at www.unweagles.com.