Minnesota Duluth won its first NSIC volleyball championship Sunday and claimed an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II tournament with a 25-22, 25-21, 29-27 victory over top-seeded Concordia (St. Paul), which was swept on its home court for the first time in more than 12 years.
UMD senior outside hitter Kate Lange had 19 kills and nine digs, hitting .385.
The defending NCAA champion Golden Bears (29-3), who lost twice to UMD (31-2) in a season for the first time since 2007, are expected to earn an at-large spot in the tournament when pairings are announced Monday.
Gophers wrestlers win
The second-ranked Gophers wrestling team recorded three pins and three major decisions in a 41-5 victory over Wyoming at the Sports Pavilion. Among the Gophers winners was unranked Brett Pfarr, who scored a 10-1 major decision over 16th-ranked Benjamin Stroh at 184 pounds. Third-ranked Dylan Ness pinned No. 14 Andy McCulley at 157 in the only bout featuring ranked wrestlers.
Etc.
• The Minnesota Duluth women's soccer team lost 2-1 to Grand Valley State in an NCAA quarterfinal in Duluth. Jennifer Smith, a midfielder from Bloomington Jefferson, curled in a free kick in the 82nd minute for UMD (17-5-1), which matched a season record for victories.
• The University of Mary's Jennifer Agnew, a senior from Onamia, Minn., won the NCAA Division II cross-country championship Saturday in Spokane, Wash., covering the 6,000-meter course in 20 minutes, 50.7 seconds.
