MOUNT VERNON – Cornell tallied 12 of the final 14 points Friday night, catapulting the Rams into the championship match of the Midwest Conference Volleyball Tournament for the sixth year in a row.
The top-seeded Rams (16-9) eliminated No. 4 seed Illinois College in a competitive semifinal by scores of 25-21, 25-20, 16-25 and 25-9 inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center.
Now it's on to Saturday's 1 p.m. title match against potent No. 2 seed Lawrence (18-10), which had no trouble in a 25-18, 25-15, 25-17 sweep over Lake Forest.
Saturday's champion earns the MWC's automatic berth to next week's NCAA Division III Tournament.
Cornell beat Lawrence for last year's tournament title, 3-1. The Rams also scored a 3-1 victory over Lawrence just two weeks ago for the regular-season championship.
The Rams carry momentum from their late Set 4 flurry against Illinois College (14-12). Senior
Nia Howard fired two aces during the 12-2 match-clinching run. She finished the night with six aces, a season high.
Cornell hit a blistering .500 in the fourth set with eight kills on 16 errorless swings.
Ashlin Nottestad and
Mia Tubbs led Cornell's strong attack with 11 kills apiece. Tubbs hit .409 and added four blocks.
MWC Player of the Year
Ally Olmstead delivered eight kills and a match-high eight blocks.
Hannah Cantwell had seven kills.
Setter
Grace Tverberg handed out 21 assists.
Kensie Staats led the back row with 13 digs.
