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Rockhurst University Athletics

GLVC Highlights Part 3

General

Part III: Hawks won 2017 GLVC Commissioner's Cup

Rockhurst University transitioned from the Heartland Conference to the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the fall of 2005. Two weeks ago, we started a four-part series reviewing the Hawks' Top 20 highlights over the past two decades in the GLVC.

This week we will review Part III of the Top 20 list, highlighted by winning the GLVC Commissioner's Cup in 2017. Women's Volleyball won its first NCAA Midwest Regional Championship in 2015 and came back in 2017 to win its second NCAA regional trophy. Men's Soccer made three consecutive trips to the national semifinals from 2015-17. Women's Soccer grabbed its first GLVC regular season title in 2016.

2015 Women's Volleyball
In his 28th season at Rockhurst, Hall of Fame coach Tracy Rietzke guided the Hawks to a 34-4 record and their first NCAA regional championship. Rockhurst earned a trip to the Elite Eight in Tampa, Florida with Midwest Regional wins over Saginaw Valley State, Lewis and Ferris State in Big Rapids, Michigan.

Senior middle hitter Preecy Seever (below) led the Hawks to a school-best No. 5 national ranking. Seever was named the AVCA D-II National Player of the Year. Junior outside hitter Morgan Rietzke and senior setter Whitney Kostal also received All-American honors. The Hawks went unbeaten in the GLVC regular season and fell to Lewis in the GLVC Tournament semifinals.
Preecy Seever

2015-17 Men's Soccer
Men's Soccer under Hall of Fame coach Tony Tocco dominated the GLVC from 2015 to 2017. The Hawks won three GLVC regular season titles, two GLVC Tournament championships, and three NCAA Midwest Regional crowns. Rockhurst advanced to three national semifinals, including two appearances in Kansas City in 2016 and '17.

Kaleb Jackson (below) scored 25 goals to earn back-to-back All-American honors in 2016-17. Senior defender Paul Dean was a first team All-American in 2015 and senior midfielder Adam Michel was a second team All-American in 2017. Logan Feldmann combined for 36 shutouts in goal as the Hawks posted a 52-7-9 record in those three seasons.
Kaleb Jackson

2016 Women's Soccer
The women's soccer team, led by All-American senior midfielder Courtney Silberberg and junior forward Kaley Nieters, won their first GLVC regular season championship while posting a No. 13 national ranking. Silberberg (below) earned third team All-American honors as the Hawks finished with a 17-3-2 record. Nieters led the team with 10 goals and four assists.

The Hawks sailed through the conference schedule with a 12-1-2 league record. Rockhurst shut out Quincy and Missouri-St. Louis to advance to the GLVC Tournament championship game in Indianapolis. The Hawks fell in overtime, 2-1, to McKendree and dropped a 1-0 decision to UMSL in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Allendale, Michigan. Rockhurst outscored its opponents, 40-10. Ali Wallner and Rosie Breheny combined for 13 shutouts in goal.
Courtney Silberberg

2017 GLVC Commissioner's Cup
Rockhurst capped its 12th season in the GLVC by winning the Commissioner's Cup, which is awarded to the school that scores the most points in the seven core conference championship sports. The Hawks brought home the GLVC title in men's soccer, while finishing second in women's soccer, fourth in women's volleyball and softball, and fifth in women's basketball.

Softball posted its best finish in school history with a 31-22 record under head coach Galen Struve and earned the No. 2 seed in the GLVC Tournament after sharing the regular-season title with Southern Indiana. All-American pitcher Bridgette Sappington (below) led the Hawks with a 22-7 record and 1.16 ERA. Women's Basketball placed second in the GLVC West and posted an 18-10 record led by senior guard Mary Dineen and junior guard Jillian Myers.
Bridgette Sappington
  
2017 Women's Volleyball
For the second time in three years, the women's volleyball team returned to the NCAA D-II Elite Eight. The Hawks upset fourth-ranked Lewis to capture their second regional championship. The victory was redemption after losing to Lewis in the finals of the GLVC Tournament.

A pair of seniors led Rockhurst to their highest finish in school history in the NCAA Tournament. Grace Carter and Anne Hellwege directed Rockhurst to the 2017 national semifinals in Pensacola, Florida and were named to the All-Tournament team. The Hawks finished the season ranked 11th in the final Coaches Top 25 Poll with a 32-8 record.
2017 WVB Regional Champs
 
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