The Ashland University women’s volleyball season had an abrupt end following the NCAA Division II selection show on Monday No. 23.

After the team made it into the GLIAC tournament, they had high hopes to make it into the NCAA tournament as well.

Defeating Grand Valley State University would give the Eagles their best chance at making the NCAA tournament, although they fell short, losing against the Lakers 3-1.

The Eagles started the match off strong, taking an early lead in the first set 21-16 although they were unable to maintain their lead, allowing the Lakers to come back, scoring nine of the next ten points to claim the set 25-22.

The second set proved to be close as well but went in the Lakers favor again. Grand Valley had a stronger finish, scoring the last five points of the set for a 25-20 victory.

Set number three was all Ashland. AU won the set by ten, 25-15 after taking a 10-5 lead to start the set and never looked back.

The fourth set was another close call, although went in favor of the Lakers. 

Alli Cudworth led the team in kills with 15, followed by Samantha Zuber’s 10. 

Four players had double-digit digs in the match. Cudworth had 19 digs, Casey Clark put up 18 digs, Mallory Slyder had 12 and Kaitlin Bean dug out 11.

The loss eliminated the Eagles from the GLIAC tournament, although they still possessed a chance to come trough and make another run in the NCAAs.

Based on the results from the two other conferences in the Midwest Region, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and Great Lakes Valley Conference, the Eagles still had a decent change to move on.

Unfortunately, the Eagles did not make the cut. 

Saginaw Valley State, who was in the same position as the Eagles after losing in the GLIAC Quarterfinals to the HIllsdale Chargers, did qualify.

AU defeated Saginaw Valley State earlier in the season 3-2, although the Cardinals had a stronger finish to their 2015 season while Ashland lost four of their last five conference matches. 

The All-GLIAC teams were released and three Ashland Eagles were named. 

To the surprise of none, Cudworth was named to the All-GLIAC first team. Cudworth led the conference in kills with 491 and kills per set with 4.13. Cudworth was also the conference leader in service aces per set with a 0.53 mark.

Clark was named to the All-GLIAC second team. Clark had 297 kills this season was the sixteenth most in the GLIAC. Clark also was tied for eleventh in the conference in digs with 403 and was nineteenth in digs per set with 3.39.

Zuber was an All-GLIAC honorable mention. Zuber was eighth in the GLIAC in both assisted blocks and solo blocks with 83 and 21 respectively, giving her 104 total on the season, good enough for ninth in the conference.

The Eagles will lose three starters, although will bring back rising seniors, Casey Clark and Alli Cudworth. Both athletes have been a part of the Eagles starting lineup since their freshman seasons.