MOUNT VERNON, Iowa- On Saturday, November 18^th #5 University of Northwestern Volleyball defeated #4 Wisconsin-Whitewater to advance to the NCAA Division III National Tournament Elite Eight. Read below for the game highlights:

The night did not get off to an ideal start for the Northwestern Eagles. Wisconsin-Whitewater, who lost in the regional final last year and earlier this season to the Eagles both by a score of 3-1, jumped all over the Eagles in the Sweet Sixteen matchup. UNW struggled with their attack in the first set and only hit .057 on their way to a 25-20 first set defeat. The Eagles' attack was better in the second set, finishing with an attacking percentage of .235, but the Warhawks still won the set 25-21.

Facing a 2-0 deficit to a talented and red-hot Wisconsin-Whitewater team, a second consecutive trip to the Elite Eight seemed unlikely. The beginning of the third set did not appear to be promising for Eagle fans either as their team fell behind 3-0 early. However, UNW answered with three consecutive points of their own to weather the storm and tie the third set at 3-3. Later in the set, the Eagles trailed 12-10 but used four straight kills (Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy), Kiera Brown (Columbia Falls, Mont./Columbia Falls), and 2x Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian)) to jump ahead 14-12. However, Whitewater would score seven of the next nine points and the Eagles' season was officially in jeopardy trailing 19-16. The end of the third set would end up being a wild, up-and-down, back-and forth ride that Eagle volleyball fans will not soon forget.

UNW found themselves trailing 22-18 and were in danger of being swept out of the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Hannah Rich (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) would end up taking the serve for the Eagles and the lefty would serve her team back into the game. She led the Eagles on a remarkable 6-0 run (including a service ace) and UNW now led 24-22. It appeared as if the Eagles were destined to finish off the scoring run and force a fourth set. However, this time, it was the Warhawks who had other plans. They would score three straight points to acquire a 25-24 lead, setting up the first of many match point opportunities they would have. Facing elimination, Glanzer picked up a kill to tie the set at 25-25. Now it was UNW's turn to have some set point opportunities. The Eagles led 26-25 and then 27-26 but were not able to put the Warhawks away. After two consecutive points that went Whitewater's way, UNW faced another match point. Glanzer would respond one more time and tie the game at 28 apiece. The Eagles would score two more points and survived the third set, 30-28.

The fans inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center on the campus of Cornell College had to have thought the third set was going to be the tightest and most dramatic of the evening. They were wrong. The fourth set began and followed the same script of the Eagles having their backs against the wall and barely staying alive. The fourth set would go back-and-forth throughout, but we will fast forward to the final stages of the set. The Eagles trailed 24-21 and once again, the Warhawks needed a single point to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight in California. Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) and Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) picked up back-to-back kills. The Eagles were still alive. Whitewater committed an error and the set was tied 24-24. Grace Strickfaden (Norwood-Young America, Minn./NYA) picked an unbelievable time for her only kill of the game and it gave the Eagles an improbable 25-24 lead. The Warhawks would regain their composure and score consecutive points. For the last time, the Eagles were facing a match point and the Warhawks had one more chance to end the Eagles' season. They were unable to deliver the final blow. Glanzer picked up a kill. Glanzer picked up an ace. Kiera Brown (Columbia Falls, Mont./Columbia Falls) and Mikayla Wilber (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids) would combine for a block to force a fifth and final set. The Eagles' snuck by with a 28-26 fourth set victory.

The Eagle fans in attendance were beside themselves with joy as their team had fought and clawed their way back from what appeared to be an insurmountable deficit. The fifth set would lack the drama that the third and fourth sets contained. The Eagles were in control throughout and won the fifth set 15-11. When Ari Schmidt's (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) final kill hit the floor and sealed the reverse-sweep, come-from-behind win for UNW, pure ecstasy broke out on the Eagles' bench. The players rushed the floor to celebrate with each other. The Eagles had come back to defeat the #4 ranked team in the country in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.

The Eagles are in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season. The NCAA will announce the Eagles' opponent this afternoon and that information can be found on UNWEagles.com when it is released.