After near misses each of the last two seasons, the Misericordia University volleyball team clinched a Freedom Conference playoff berth with a 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19) win over Wilkes, Wednesday in the Anderson Center.

Misericordia improved to 13-13 overall and earned the third seed at 5-2. Wilkes fell to 9-19 overall and was eliminated from the post-season at 3-4.

The match was the final Anderson Center appearance for seniors Lexie Goble and Shannon Kane.

Cailin McCullion led the MU attack with 10 kills and two aces.

Krystal Burford had nine kills and Lexie Goble and Kristin Hoffman added eight kills each.

Hoffman had 17 assists and Meghan Hotaling added 15 assists.

Kane had three aces and nine digs.

The Cougars jumped out to a 13-4 lead in the opener and cruised to a 25-14 win.

McCullion sandwich a pair of kills around a block by Hoffman and Burford for a 4-0 lead.

McCullion hit through a Wilkes block attempt for a 9-2 lead and Goble's solo block made it 11-2.

Kat LaBrie's kill made it 23-13 and McCullion followed with an ace before LaBrie ended the game with another kill.

Wilkes put together an inspired performance in game two and never trailed enroute to a 25-23 win.

Trailing 24-19, the Cougars took advantage of three Wilkes errors to stay alive, but the Colonels held on.

Hoffman had back-to-back kills as the Cougars took a 5-2 lead in game three, but Wilkes rallied for a 15-12 lead.

McCullion had two kills and an ace to tie it, 16-16, and Molly Harleman gave the Cougars the lead, 17-16.

Hoffman and Burford had back-to-back kills for a 21-19 lead and McCullion had a pair of kills to close out the 25-22 win.

Kane opened the fourth game with an ace and Hoffman added a kill as the Cougars took a 4-0 lead.

Wilkes scored three straight points before Burford's kill made it 5-3.

Burford and Goble had consecutive kills for a 9-5 lead and Kane's ace eventually gave MU a 14-9 lead.

Goble, Harleman and Hoffman all had kills for a 23-18 lead and Kane's ace off the net made it 24-18 before getting the decisive point on a Colonels' error.

MU will play at Messiah this weekend before visitig FDU-Florham in next week's Freedom semifinals.