2006 CCIW Volleyball Tournament
Nov. 3-4, 2006
Hosted by Carthage College
Carthage Volleyball Wins CCIW Tournament Title, Await NCAA Selection
KENOSHA, Wis. -- After winning the regular season conference title with a 7-0 record, the Carthage Lady Reds earned the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament championship with a 30-19, 30-27, 31-29 victory over Illinois Wesleyan Saturday afternoon.
With the win, Carthage earned the CCIW’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Tournament. Seedings will be announced by the NCAA on Monday, Nov. 6. This is the second season in a row that Carthage will be entering NCAA Tournament play.
The win over Illinois Wesleyan was Carthage’s first tournament title since topping Elmhurst during the 2003 tournament championship game. It was the fourth tournament championship in the Lady Reds’ history.
Carthage’s Tiffany Thorsell was named tournament MVP, while teammates Kelly Bauer and Jori Simmons were named to the all-tournament team. In addition, Illinois Wesleyan’s Jenna Passananti and Jaclyn Verticchio, Millikin’s Rachel Cook and Wheaton’s Kelli Miller were also members of the all-tournament team.
Carthage’s Jenny Lachmann had 10 kills and five blocks against Illinois Wesleyan, while Thorsell also had 10 kills and five blocks. Michelle Malinowski led Illinois Wesleyan with 11 kills.
2006 CCIW Volleyball Tournament Preview
NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Carthage College and Illinois Wesleyan both advanced to the championship game of the CCIW Volleyball Tournament and will face each other Saturday, Nov. 4 for a right to go to the NCAA Tournament.
Both teams won their respective semifinal games in convincing fashion as Illinois Wesleyan topped Wheaton, 30-25, 30-11, 30-27, while Carthage earned a 30-19, 30-21, 30-24 victory over Millikin.
Carthage defeated Illinois Wesleyan in a five-game match on Sept. 26, 30-22, 17-30, 20-30, 30-26, 17-15. Carthage's Jori Simmons and Sarah Carlino led the way with 16 kills apiece, while Tiffany Thorsell had 10 kills. Carlino also had 23 digs for the Lady Reds, while Kelly Bauer had 33 set assists.
Illinois Wesleyan's Sarah Vegter had 19 kills in that game, while Katie Butson had 16 and Natalie Quinton had 11. Jaclyn Verticchio led the way for the Titans defensively with 26 digs.
The winner of Saturday's match earns the CCIW's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
2006 CCIW Volleyball Tournament Preview (Semifinal Games)
Wheaton vs. Illinois Wesleyan: In the first semifinal match scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Friday, sixth-seeded Wheaton faces No. 2 seed Illinois Wesleyan after the Thunder upset third-seeded Elmhurst during the play-in match on Tuesday. Illinois Wesleyan topped Augustana on Tuesday night.
Illinois Wesleyan topped Wheaton earlier this season when the Titans won in three, 30-27, 30-26, 30-28 on Oct. 10. Senior Sarah Vegter had a team-high 12 kills while Melissa Serritella had 11 kills against the Thunder. Jenna Passananti had 41 assists and Jaclyn Verticchio had 19 digs.
Passananti leads the CCIW in assists with an average 13.44 in seven conference matches. Wheaton’s Mallory Sullivan placed second in the conference in digs this season with 161 in seven conference matches, an average of 5.75.
Millikin vs. Carthage: Millikin and Carthage will play each other on Friday following the game between Wheaton and Illinois Wesleyan. Fifth-seeded Millikin defeated No. 4 seed North Central in the play-in match on Tuesday, while one-seeded Carthage topped No. 8 North Park.
Carthage beat Millikin 30-24, 30-19, 30-26 on Oct. 10 as Ashley Kuehl and Jori Simmons had 18 and 12 kills respectively, while Kelly Bauer had 36 set assists. Millikin’s Rachel Cook and Anna Gulbrandsen had 11 kills each against Carthage.
The Lady Reds’ Jori Simmons leads the conference in hitting percentage (.418), while Tiffany Thorsell leads the way in blocks with 31 on the season. Millikin’s Jessica LeClaire leads the conference in service aces with 22.
