The difference in Thursday’s NCAA Regional Volleyball Quarterfinal was as slim as the final scores indicated inside the Ericksen Center.
Coach Jeff Meeker’s Rams dropped three sets by a grand total of six points and 11th-ranked UW-Whitewater squeezed through to the next round with a 22-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-23 victory.
The see-saw battle was tied 34 times and witnessed 22 lead changes. It was a near miss for Cornell, going after its second win over the perennial power Warhawks in 13 days.
The Rams put forth terrific individual efforts and an elite blocking performance against UW-Whitewater (26-6), which advances to Friday’s semifinal at 4:30 p.m. against No. 13 Gustavus Adolphus.
Cornell finished another banner-filled campaign at 22-8. The 10-time defending Midwest Conference regular-season champions made their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 12 years.
The Rams outhit the Warhawks, .187 to .142, and registered one more kill, 51-50. Cornell notched 14 team blocks, its second-highest total of the season.
Junior Ilah Perez-Johnson turned in a match-high 18 kills with 14 digs. She served out the final four points in the Set 1 victory, including an ace to end it.
Rory Light stamped a super senior season with 13 kills and eight blocks. Fellow senior Grace Marti hit .261 with nine kills and six blocks. The Rams also received six blocks from freshman Carly Puffer.
Sophomore Clare Green set 44 assists, pushing her over 1,000 for the season. She also had 16 digs. Freshman libero Ella Becker led the Rams with 20 digs. Olivia Richards added 14 digs. Perez-Johnson and Becker fired three aces apiece.
Neither team led by more than three points in Set 2, which saw UW-Whitewater eke out a 26-24 win to even the match. Set 3 was tied down the stretch at 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 before two Cornell miscues gave the Warhawks the final points.
The Rams were right there again in Set 4, using a 7-2 run to forge ahead 22-21. The Warhawks answered with back-to-back kills and an ace to set up match point. A Perez-Johnson spike pulled the Rams within 24-23. UW-Whitewater then won it on a double block.
Cornell finished 3-4 against nationally-ranked foes this season.