MOUNT VERNON – It took the Cornell Rams one set to get going. But once they did, Grinnell wasn't about to stop them.
 
Top-seeded Cornell charged past the second-seeded Pioneers for a 20-25, 25-9, 25-16, 25-19 victory in Saturday's championship match of the Midwest Conference Volleyball Tournament inside the Small Sport Center.
 
The Rams celebrated their seventh MWC Tournament title since 2012 – all on their home court – and punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the eighth time in program history.
 
Cornell will learn where it's headed during Monday's NCAA Selection Show at 11:30 a.m. (Central time) on NCAA.com.
 
The Rams (20-11 overall) completed a perfect 8-0 home slate and an undefeated 10-0 season against MWC foes, one week after claiming their ninth consecutive regular-season crown.
 
Grinnell, the 2019 tournament champion, bowed out with a 20-14 record.
 
Cornell finished off the Pioneers on the fourth match point in Set 4. Libero Sydney Meeker bumped a set to the outside for sophomore Ilah Perez-Johnson, who slammed home the winner for her match-high 14th kill of the day.
 
Perez-Johnson fueled a potent Cornell attack that hit .289 for the match and had five players register at least eight kills. Alissa McEndaffer and Rory Light tallied 13 kills apiece. Olivia Richards was terrific with 12 kills on .550 hitting. Grace Marti posted a strong .462 attack percentage and eight kills.
 
Freshman setter Clare Green, who eclipsed the 1,000-assist mark in Friday's 3-0 semifinal win over Monmouth, added 45 more to her impressive season total against the Pioneers. She also had nine digs.  
 
Marti contributed four blocks, heading a tough defensive effort that limited Grinnell's MWC Player of the Year Kaylin Kuhn to 10 kills on .111 hitting. Grinnell, the MWC's No. 1 hitting team coming in, struggled to hit just .118 against the Rams.  
 
Meeker anchored the back row with a match-high 16 digs. Richards and Perez-Johnson both recorded double-doubles with 11 and 10 digs, respectively. The Rams finished with seven ace serves, three from senior Lindsey Frazier.  
 
After dropping the opening set, Cornell quickly turned the tide with an 8-1 run to start Set 2, seven of the points coming off of Richards' serve. The Rams used a 10-1 run to take control in Set 3, and never trailed in the decisive fourth set.