PALATINE, Ill. — The Milwaukee Area Technical College women's volleyball team closed its regular season in dominant fashion Thursday night, sweeping Harper College 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-23) on the road. The victory marked the Stormers' 17th sweep of the year and capped a three-match winning streak, improving their record to 29-11 overall with an 8-2 mark on the road and 8-1 at home.

"Harper is a talented team, well-coached and disciplined," MATC head coach Shel DeLisle said. "It was great to see everyone focus as we come into the most important part of the season. Kim [Busateri] had an incredible game passing, which set up our offense. Rachel [Krueger] has been on fire the last few matches, and having the pass right to the setters gave her a chance to really show up. It was a good match to prepare us for the playoffs."

Building on that momentum, MATC sharpened its attack with each set against Harper. The Stormers opened with eight kills in the first frame before finding rhythm in the second, nearly doubling that output to 14 while hitting .194. They matched that kill total again in the third, closing with their most efficient performance of the night at an .211 efficiency. The steady climb in offensive production underscored a complete team effort, as MATC controlled the pace from start to finish.

Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Krueger led the charge with a match-high 15 kills on a .312 hitting percentage, adding two service aces and two block assists to finish with 18 points.

Freshman Kayleah Laughlin chipped in nine kills on 24 swings to go with two aces, a solo block and a block assist for 12.5 points. Sophomore Natalia Farrugia added balance at the net with seven kills on a .190 percentage, plus an ace, five digs and four total blocks for 10.5 points.

Freshman Annika Romine provided an efficient spark, converting three kills on four swings for a .750 hitting percentage while adding two block assists. Freshman Grace Adams showcased her versatility with nine assists, four aces, six digs and two blocks for 6.5 points. Freshman Hope Martens steered the offense with 19 assists, two aces and seven digs to keep the Stormers in control.

UP NEXT
MATC (29-11) opens postseason play at home against Illinois Valley at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the NJCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Region 4 quarterfinals.

"We are excited to host our first playoff match," DeLisle said ahead of the postseason matchup. "Home court is definitely an advantage, with our fans always showing up—even at away games. We saw Illinois Valley earlier in the season, but the playoffs are a different animal. Everyone is determined to make it to the Sunday finals, so we can't take anything for granted. We'll be working hard this week."