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Lakeland clinches share of NAC regular season title


Athletics - posted on 10/24/2009

SHEBOYGAN - The Lakeland women's volleyball team wrapped up its third consecutive Northern Athletics Conference regular season title with a 25-17, 25-16, 25-20 victory over Benedictine on Saturday afternoon at Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies (18-10 overall, 10-2 NAC) will share the title with Benedictine. Dominican, which currently sits at 9-2 in the league, can also share the championship by defeating Wisconsin Lutheran this Wednesday.

Lakeland can clinch the top seed in the conference tournament with a Dominican loss. The team can fare no worse than the No. 3 seed, which means it is guaranteed to host at least one tournament match.

In control from the start of the match, the Muskies, who hit a stellar .302 as a team, won the last five points of the third set to close out the match.

"When we find six people that will play well at the same time, we can be as good as we were today," Lakeland coach Chad Schreiber said.

Sophomore middle hitter Allison Davis (Sheboygan, Wis.) led the Lakeland attack with 15 kills and a staggering .609 hitting percentage.

"Allison should get the nickname 'Tournament Time,'" Schreiber said. "Last year she came off the bench and played extremely well in the post-season. For the past 2 1/2 weeks, she has been the one who has helped us get to the post-season."

In the final regular season home match of her career, senior outside hitter Brittanie Paulus (Belgium, Wis.) tallied 14 kills and a team-high 19 digs.

Paulus, as well as fellow seniors Hannah Ellis, Kaylyn Kasper, Kim Linger, Heather Mayer and Tonia Strebelinski, were recognized by Schreiber prior to the match.

The Muskie volleyball class of 2009 has lost just five times in conference play, has won three NAC regular season titles and two conference tournament championships and appeared in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

Lakeland returns to action with four non-conference matches next Friday and Saturday at the UW-Whitewater Invitational.

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