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Scoreboard

Clarkson University Athletics

ArasuAishvinaNCAA2015
0
Clarkson CU 30-9
3
Winner Wittenberg WIT 28-2
Clarkson CU
30-9
0
Final
3
Wittenberg WIT
28-2
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Clarkson CU 11 22 21 (0)
Wittenberg WIT 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | November 19, 2015

Clarkson Volleyball Falls in Division III National Quarterfinals to Wittenberg, 3-0

Grand Rapids, MI – Four straight trips to the NCAA Division III Volleyball Quarterfinals for the Clarkson University Volleyball team is a feat that not many teams can match, but the Golden Knights' Class of 2016 and the rest of the squad was looking for more this year. Unfortunately, the Green and Gold suffered a three-set defeat at the hands of sixth-ranked Wittenberg University on Thursday afternoon, falling 25-11, 25-22, 25-21 at Calvin College's Van Noord Arena.

The Golden Knights saw their season end at 30-9 overall, while the Tigers improved to 28-2. Wittenberg, the 2011 NCAA Division III National Champions, will face Hendrix in the national semifinals on Friday. 

Clarkson Press Conference (YouTube clip)

In the first set the Golden Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a pair of kills from Aishvina Arasu and an ace by Victoria Kirkemo and Clarkson still had a modest lead at 5-3 following a kill from Sierra Rhoads, but Wittenberg went on an impressive run on offense, defense, and from the service line, scoring 14 of the next 16 points to take a 17-7 lead. Though the run was extinguished thanks to a service error, Clarkson wasn't able to get back into the set after falling behind by double figures and the Tigers cruised to a 25-11 win in the opener.

Wittenberg hit 11-0-27 (.407 hitting percentage) in the first set and held the Golden Knights to -.054 (8-10-37). One standout was Arasu, who had four kills in the set for the Golden Knights.

The second was an entirely different game, though, as the two teams jostled back and forth for much of the set. Arasu provided four runs in the stretch of seven points between the two teams as Clarkson enjoyed a 13-10 lead midway through the second frame, forcing the Tigers to take a timeout. After a Kirkemo kill made it 15-11, Wittenberg rallied to take five of the next six points to tie the score up at 16-16. The combatants continued to trade points until Clarkson regained the lead at 20-19 with an ace from Jillian Saenz, but Wittenberg scored six of the final eight points to take the game, 25-22.

Clarkson found some offensive rhythm with 16 kills, but still committed 10 errors in 45 swings for a .133 hitting percentage. Wittenberg wasn't quite as impressive in the second set with a 9-1-34 showing for a .257 hitting percentage.

In the third set, the Golden Knights fell behind by four points in the early going (8-4 and 11-6), but Clarkson rallied back to within two on consecutive kills from Lauren Hutchinson and another kill from Kirkemo. It appeared as if that last little spurt was all that the Knights had in them as Wittenberg scored the next five points for a 16-9 lead, but Clarkson climbed back within striking distance and three straight kills from Rachael Aird tied the set up at 18-18. That score marked the last time that Clarkson would be even with the Tigers, though, as Wittenberg pushed its way through to a 25-21 win.

With her 10th kill of the match (giving Clarkson a 14-11 lead during the second set), Aishvina Arasu surpassed Sara Artus as the program's all-time kills leader and she finished with a match-high 14 kills on a .257 hitting percentage. Aird hit .333 with nine kills and just three errors on 18 swings while Kirkemo and Hutchinson finished with seven and four kills, respectively. Kirstie Shurie produced 30 assists, while Tara Stilwell (14 digs) and Kendall Cheval (10 digs) led the team defensively.

For Wittenberg, Clarkson was able to mostly shut down four-time All-American Kara Seidenstricker, holding to her just three kills and a .111 hitting percentage, but Emily Kahlig (10-1-16) and Camila Quinones (9-0-21) made up for her normal offense. Each middle hitter also posted four total blocks, recording a solo and three block assists apiece. 
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