FORT WAYNE, Ind. - No. 17-ranked Indiana Institute of Technology outlasted #22 Madonna University, 3-2, in the championship game of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Tournament to grab the league's automatic berth to nationals.

The third meeting between the top two teams in the conference lived up to the billing as Tech needed all five sets to claim the postseason title. Tech jumped to the early lead, winning the first two sets 28-26 and 25-20 for a 2-0 lead. Madonna rallied to win the next the next set 26-24 while facing four match points and was able to hold the momentum during the next set, winning 25-23 to tie the match at 2-2. The deciding set favored Tech as the Warriors won 15-6 for the tournament championship.

Tech was down as many as 5 points in the first set before making a 10-3 run to go up 16-13. MU tied the Warriors at 22, at 23, 25 and again at 26 before Ashley Hamilton served the final two points for the 28-26 Tech win.

Tech was up 10-4 in the second set before Madonna closed the gap at 15-12. Two service aces by Amber Birky put Tech ahead 19-14. MU battled to within three points at 23-20 before Hamilton delivered a kill and Erica Stourder and Kelsea Nova blocked a kill attempt for the 25-20 victory.

After dropping the opening sets, Madonna faced a must win in set three. Tech opened up a seven point lead at 17-10 before MU crept back, pulling to with in five at 19-14. The Warriors they went back up by six at 22-16 before the two sides traded points and Tech was up 24-19 and just a point way from the WHAC title. Madonna staved off elimination to tie the set at 24-all before winning 26-24.

Set four was back and forth early with Tech holding an early four point lead at 8-4 before Madonna came pack to tie the set at 9-all and take the lead at 10-9. The two sides continued to trade points until back-to-back kills put MU on top 21-19. Madonna finished the set with a 25-23 win.

The final set was all Tech from the start as the Warriors (31-9) raced out to a 9-4 lead and never looked back, taking the deciding set 15-6 to claim the WHAC's tournament title and the league's automatic bid to the30th Annual NAIA National Championship. Madonna (32-7) must now await for an at-large bid to the national tournament. Selections will be announced Nov. 15 with opening rounds played on campus sites Nov. 21. The final site is the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa.