WAVERLY, Iowa - The Wartburg volleyball team moved to 30-5 on the season with its 3-1 win over Loras to claim the Iowa Conference Tournament Championship Saturday.

With the win, the Knights receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will learn who and where they play during the selection show on Monday. This is the first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since 2013.

WARTBURG vs. LORAS: IIAC CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS


The Duhawks claimed the first set 25-23 but the Orange and Black would take the next three. Wartburg would rally from trailing 16-12 in the second set to knot the score at 19, 20 and 21 all before earning four straight points to win the frame. The Knights rallied again in the fourth set from being down 8-3 to make it 13-9 and scored four straight points again to tie it at 13-13. The Orange and Black went on a seven point run to extend their lead to 23-15 later in the set before winning the match on a Miller kill and a Loras setting error.

Junior Claire Willenbring (Dyersville) had a career-best 19 kills as did sophomore Maddie Miller (Johnston) as she finished with 11. Senior Emma Harmeyer (West Des Moines) had 27 set assists and sophomore Maria Brown (Peosta) had 17 as they co-ran the offense.

Three players, senior Jamie Farley (Cedar Falls), Harmeyer and freshman Lizzy Blough (Dike), all had double digit digs with 23, 11 and 10, respectively.

As a team. Wartburg held the advantages in kills (54-41), hitting percentage (.264 vs. .090), digs (73-56) and blocks (9-0)

The Knights await their opponent during the selection show Monday.