PALATINE, IL-  The reigning National Champion and #1 ranked Harper College volleyball team traveled to Milwaukee on Thursday and returned with a 3-0 sweep over the MATC Stormers.

The first set was the kind of start that Harper needed to set the tone for the rest of the match.  In the 25-5 win, Breanna Cullen (/Oregon) had 3 kills and a block while Emily Huprich (/Elgin) was 8-8 serving with 4 aces to go along with her 6 assists.  Ellie Burzlaff (/Harvest Christian) added 4 aces of her own while Ariana Chelini (/Crystal Lake South) and Marielle Lugo (/Hoffman Estates) each had 2 digs.

Set two began closer than the first as the two teams were tied early at 3-3.  The Hawks would then hit their stride as they scored 12 of the next 14 points to go ahead 15-5.  The lead would be extended to 19-9 and Harper would go on to score the next 6 points for a 25-9 second set victory.  Huprich had another 6 assists.  Getting in on the action were sophomore Alex Tangney (/Fremd), who had 2 block and a kill, and freshmen Nikki Alm (/Larkin) and Lydia Schiller (/Hoffman Estates), who each had 2 kills.  Karolina Sas (/Fremd), playing libero, was 10-10 serving with 3 aces while Angelina Nichols (/Christian Liberty Academy) added an ace of her own.

After two big wins to start the match, set three turned into a nail biter until the end.  The Hawks were again up early, this time 8-5, before the Stormers "stormed" back to tie the set at 12-12.  Both teams would remain neck and neck, seeing 4 more ties at 14-14, 16-16, 18-18, and 19-19 until the Hawks finally finished the third set, and the match, with a 25-22 win.  Emily Huprich (/Elgin) had 4 assists, 3 kills, and an ace, while freshman Gabby Fugle (/Wauconda) had 3 assists and 2 kills.  Freshman Carley Chiodo (/Hersey) had 2 kills and 2 aces and Alex Tangney (/Fremd) had another two kills.  Mackenzie Bush (/Bartlett) was 5-6 with an ace while libero for the set Angelina Nichols (/Christian Liberty Academy) had 3 digs.

In a match that saw everyone involved, the Hawks totaled 25 kills, 3 blocks, 20 digs, 21 assists, and a new season-high 20 aces.  Head coach Bob Vilsoet said, "Everyone was able to get in and play in this match, which was nice to see."

At the halfway point in the season, Harper is now 16-3 (5-0 N4C).  The Hawks will travel to Michigan on Saturday to participate in the Lake Michigan Tri-Match.  They will face-off against Lake Michigan College at noon and Glen Oaks Community College at 2.