CMC75 Moments: 2014 Volleyball Wins NCAA Regional
As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moments, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
2014 Volleyball: Athenas Win Regional Title
The CMS Volleyball team was coming off its first NCAA appearance in 16 years in 2013, when it picked up an opening round win over Thomas More before falling 3-1 to Colorado College. The Athenas returned to the national stage in 2014 and had a dramatic run, earning their first-ever regional championship.
There were lots of tense moments along the way. In the first round, CMS had a match point in the fourth set before Mary Hardin-Baylor came back to force a fifth with a 28-26 win, and the Athenas responded to win 15-12 on an Aubrey Breitwieser kill. That set up a rematch with Colorado College in the regional semis that featured even more drama. CMS was down 2-1 in sets and trailed 22-21 in the fourth when it rattled off a huge 4-0 run, starting with Breitwieser kill and then featuring two straight kills from Regina Mullen, forcing a fifth.
The fifth set was then tied 12-12 when Nicole Kerkhof had a kill and an ace to give CMS two match points at 14-12. The Tigers fought off the first, but Breitwieser put the ball down for a 15-13 win and a revenge victory to send CMS through to the regional finals.
CMS then defeated Trinity 3-1 to earn its first-ever trip to nationals, while also matching the 1993 team for the deepest NCAA Tournament run in program history (the 1993 team was a regional finalist in an era when only four teams went to nationals). The run ended in a heartbreaking five-setter to Wisconsin Stevens Point, but eight members of the freshman class on the 2014 Athenas would form the nucleus of the team that would win the program's national title their senior years in 2017.
Megan Coleman and Breitweiser were first-team All-SCIAC in 2014, while Kerkhof, Mariah Rigg, Tanner Hoke and Margaux Arntson were on the second team. Coleman and Breitwesier were also first-team All-West Region selections, while Coleman earned honorable mention All-America distinction. Coleman (digs) and Kerkhof (kills) hold the CMS program records for both a single season and a career.
2014 Volleyball Roster
Head Coach: Kurt Vlasich
Assistant Coaches: Savannah Breazile, Morgan Coberly
Crystal Anderson (Fr., OH, CMC)
Margaux Arntson (Fr., OPP, CMC)
Audrey Breitwieser (Jr., OH, CMC)
Sarah Bruml (Fr., MB, Scripps)
Megan Coleman (Sr., Libero, CMC)
Natalie Creekmur (So., DS, CMC)
Isabella Greer (Fr., Setter, CMC)
Tanner Hoke (Jr., Setter, CMC)
Nicole Kerkhof (So., OH, CMC)
Clara Madsen (Fr., Setter, CMC)
Quinn Morrison (So., MB, Scripps)
Regina Mullen (Sr., OH, CMC)
Mariah Rigg (Fr., MB, CMC)
Arianna Sifuentes (Jr., Libero, Scripps)
Shelbi Stein (Fr., OH, CMC)
Mikena Werner (Fr., Libero, Scripps)