Eagles Clinch South Division Title With Senior Night Sweep

It was a big night for a team which has fought through its share of adversity to get there.
 
On Friday (Nov. 12) night at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, not only did Ashland University's volleyball team win the Great Midwest Athletic Conference's South Division title after a 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-9) win over Kentucky Wesleyan, it did so while honoring four seniors on Senior Night.
 
"That was our first goal at the start of the season, to win the division," said Ashland head coach Kevin Foeman, "so I'm glad we got a chance to do that."
 
The Eagles are 16-12 overall and 12-3 in the conference thanks to a five-match winning streak, while the Panthers are 2-24, 0-15.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• All four seniors honored on Senior Night played a part in the Eagles' win on Friday. Outside hitters Erin Krupar (11 kills, .280 hitting percentage) and Heidi Fausze (10 kills, .381 percentage) paced the offense, middle hitter Lexi Lombardo added three kills, two block assists and four digs, and defensive specialist Sophie Dahn collected eight digs and had two service aces.
• "The way we've been playing the last few weeks, it makes it extra special," Foeman said.
• Senior setter Zoey Peck had 26 assists, and sophomore libero Katie Thompson had a team-high 12 digs.
• The Eagles' team hitting percentage of .306 is their third-best of the fall.
• Ashland kept the Panthers to a team hitting percentage of -.046, marking the fourth time this season the Eagles have kept an opponent to a negative hitting percentage.

 
UP NEXT
Ashland's regular-season finale on Saturday (Nov. 13) at 1 p.m. vs. Trevecca Nazarene. Then, it's on to the Great Midwest Tournament Final Four next week in Hillsdale, Mich.
 
"I like our chances," Foeman said. "There's a lot of good teams in the GMAC this year. But we're focused, and we've had the best three, four weeks of practice in a row we've had all year. I really, really like where we're at."