'Berg Suffers Hard Fought Loss in NCAA Regional Semifinals

The fourth seeded Heidelberg College volleyball team suffered a hard fought 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 16-25, 22-25) loss to number one seeded University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in a NCAA Division III Regional Semifinal Match at the Kolf Sports Center on the campus of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisc. tonight, November 14.
 
Heidelberg, under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Jason Miller, made its second-straight appearance in the regional semifinals and close out the year at 31-8. The 31 wins on the year marks a single-season record. It was the first-time ever that a ’Berg team eclipsed the 30-win plateau and it was the second-consecutive season they set a record for wins.
 
The setback concludes the successful four-year playing careers of middle hitter Emily Hurlburt (St. Mary’s, Ohio / Memorial) and outside hitters Audra Vucic (Lancaster, Ohio / Fisher Catholic) and Kelsey Elliott (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Glandorf).  
 
From the onset of the first set Heidelberg made it known that it came to play. With the score tied at 2-2, the Berg rattled off seven-straight points to take control of the set. The Berg led by as many as eight on three occasions before the Titans battled back to cut its deficit to three points, 18-15. A ’Berg timeout quieted the Titan push and sent the Berg to a 25-19 win.
 
Roles were reversed in set two as Oshkosh came marching out of the gate, jumping out to a 17-10 lead. The Berg battled back to within two, 19-17, following a Jackie Reinhart (New Riegel, Ohio / New Riegel) service ace, but Oshkosh responded with two-straight points. Heidelberg pulled within two once again, 24-22, but could not overcome the host Titans, 25-22.
 
Heidelberg had trouble getting things going in set three, trailing by eight, 13-5 early on. Oshkosh pushed its lead to 10, 20-10. The Berg took advantage of two Titan errors and added a Hurlburt kill to put three-consecutive points on the board, but could not hold on to the momentum. Oshkosh went on to post a 25-16 victory.
 
Oshkosh came out strong in set four, but the Berg would not just ride away. The Berg trailed 22-15, and battled back down the stretch to hold off Oshkosh through four match points. In the end the Titans produced a slim 25-22 victory.