The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team's season ended in heartbreaking fashion, as the Spartans fell in five sets (25-19, 25-8, 23-25, 20-25, 7-15) to the 23rd-ranked University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship on Thursday evening at the DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland, Michigan, on the campus of Hope College.
The loss ends one of the best seasons in program history for Case Western Reserve with a record of 22-9. In addition to qualifying for the postseason for the third time ever, the Spartans placed third in the University Athletic Association, the team's best finish since 2015. The team won 44 matches over its last two seasons, compiling a 44-15 (.746) record since the beginning of 2022, the best two-season winning percentage in program history.
Five Spartans reached double-digit kills in the match, led by 16 from junior outside hitter Rea Marfatia. Sophomore outside hitter Kalli Wall recorded 14 kills, first-year outside hitter Emily Goodpaster had 12 kills and 17 digs, and junior middle blocker Lily Crouch put down 10 kills. Defensively, Marfatia added 14 digs, and senior libero Alyssa Blessinger led the team with 26 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Kiya Levy contributed six total blocks (one solo), Crouch blocked five attacks (two solo), and Goodpaster added four blocks. Senior setter Ansley Yamaato directed the offense with 32 assists.
The Pointers, who improved to 23-10 with the win, will advance to the second round against either the host Flying Dutch or the Bison of Bethany College.
Case Western Reserve began the match with a 3-0 run, but UWSP responded to take a 6-5 lead. Later in the set, a 4-0 run gave the Pointers an 11-9 advantage. The Spartans took six of the next seven points to claim a 15-12 lead, ending the run on a kill by Marfatia. The teams split the following four points before back-to-back kills by Goodpaster and Wall gave Case Western Reserve a 19-14 lead. CWRU won five of the next six points after a timeout to reach set point. UWSP stayed alive in the set by taking the next four points, but a Levy kill ended the first set in favor of the Spartans.
After dropping the first point of the second set, the Spartans went on a 9-1 run to take a seven-point lead. The Pointers cut their deficit to six, but that would be the closest they would get. CWRU started a 10-2 run with a kill by Levy, opening a 22-7 advantage. Levy and Marfatia each had a pair of kills during the run which included eight consecutive points on the service of Yamaato. After a Stevens Point kill, CWRU won the final three points to claim the set by 17.
The two teams battled early in the third set, with the Spartans claiming a 9-6 advantage following a quick 3-0 run. The Pointers tied the score at 10, but CWRU won four of the next five after a timeout to lead 14-11. The Spartans increased their lead with a Yamaato kill after a UWSP timeout, but the Pointers won the next five to take a 16-15 lead. Case Western Reserve tied the score at 16, 17, and 18, but a 6-3 Pointer run put UWSP one point away from forcing a fourth set. Two Spartan kills brought CWRU within two, however the Pointers ended the set with a kill to stay alive in the match.
Case Western Reserve started the fourth set with a 3-2 lead. Five consecutive Stevens Point points put the Pointers ahead 7-3. The Spartans cut their deficit to two, trailing 11-9, but UWSP won four of the next five to take a 15-10 lead. Following a CWRU timeout, a 4-2 run cut the deficit to three. Back-to-back Stevens Point points increased their lead five, but Marfatia earned consecutive kills and Wall followed with a kill to make the score 19-17. Looking to stop the run, UWSP called a timeout. The Pointers increased their lead to four with a kill and an ace after the break, but Marfatia responded with a kill and an ace of her own to bring the Spartans within two. The teams traded kills before UWSP won the next three point to force a decisive fifth set.
Stevens Point won the first three points of the final set, prompting a timeout by Case Western Reserve. UWSP took four of the next six points to lead 7-2 before a Goodpaster kill brought the Spartans within four. The Pointers claimed two of the following three points to lead by five, 9-4, and prompt the final Spartan timeout of the match. Following a Marfatia kill, five consecutive UWSP points gave Stevens Point a nine-point advantage, 14-5. A Crouch kill and UWSP attacking error kept the Spartans alive for the next two points, but the deficit was too much to overcome as Case Western Reserve's season ended in heartbreaking fashion in Holland.
