SIOUX CITY, Iowa — It’s back to the Final Four for the third time in four seasons for the Viterbo University volleyball team.
The No. 2-ranked V-Hawks have yet to lose a set in the NAIA tournament, sweeping seventh-ranked Park 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-23) in the Elite Eight on Thursday night.
At 11 a.m. Saturday, Viterbo (39-1) will face fourth-ranked Dordt College (33-7). The winner will face either No. 1-ranked Lindsey Wilson (33-0) or No. 13 Missouri Baptist (33-8), which Viterbo defeated 3-2 back on Sept. 1. The V-Hawks lost to Missouri Baptist in the championship semifinals back in 2015.
In the Friday night win, Natalie Geidel, the V-Hawks second all-time leader in kills, hit .400 with 22 kills. Teammate Amelia Grahn — Viterbo’s all-time assists leader — continued to put up ridiculous double-doubles with 49 assists and another 20 digs. Baylee Gross led Viterbo with 21 digs, while Micah Garant had 10 kills and Chloe Jakscht added 10 digs.
The V-Hawks have now swept 14 consecutive opponents. The win ended Park’s 10-game win streak. On Sept. 21, Viterbo defeated Park 3-2 (25-15,22-25,22-25,25-20,15-11).
The V-Hawks have since won 16 consecutive matches. The last and only time Viterbo lost this season was Oct. 14 to Rocky Mountain, 3-2, on Oct. 14.
Aside from the 2015 loss to Missouri Baptist in the FInal Four, the V-Hawks also fell in the 2014 semifinals to Brownsville.
Earlier Friday, in the Sweet 16, the V-Hawks swept No. 19 Jamestown (story below).
V-Hawks win, headed to Elite Eight
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Natalie Geidel had 16 kills, while Baylee Gross had 21 digs as the Viterbo University volleyball team moves into the tonight’s Elite Eight.
The No. 2-ranked V-Hawks (38-1) defeated No. 19 Jamestown in the Sweet 16 at the Tyson Center on Friday afternoon.
Viterbo will now play seventh-ranked Park University at 8:15 p.m. tonight for a shot at the Final Four. Park has won 10 consecutive matches. It’s last loss came 3-2 to No. 9-ranked Columbia.
The V-Hawks defeated Park back on Sept. 21 in five sets (25-15,22-25,22-25,25-20,15-11).
This is the third consecutive year Vitero has gotten to the single-elimination portion of the NAIA tournament.
Last year, the V-Hawks lost in the Sweet 16 to sixth-ranked Westmount (35-3) — a team Viterbo has yet to play but could see at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Final Four.
The V-Hawks lost in the Final Four each of the two seasons before that. In 2015, they lost to No. 13 Missouri Baptist (33-8), which Viterbo could see in the championship if it gets by No. 1 ranked Lindsey Wilson (32-0). Viterbo defeated Missouri Baptist 3-2 on Sept. 1.
In 2014 Final Four, the V-Hawks lost to Brownsville, which is not in the Elite Eight.
In the win Friday afternoon, Amelia Grahn had 40 assists and 11 digs for Viterbo, which has now swept 13 consecutive opponents. The last time the V-Hawks didn’t sweep a team, it was Jamestown, in a 3-2 win on Oct. 21.
The last and only time Viterbo lost this season was Oct. 14 to Rocky Mountain, 3-2, on Oct. 14. The V-Hawks have since won 16 consecutive matches.