EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team lost only three games over two days in winning the Lisa Siegenthaler Memorial Tournament with a 3-0 win over Luther and a 3-2 win over UW-River Falls here today at the McPhee Phy. Ed. Center.

The Blugolds opened up the day with a dominating effort over Luther College winning all three games by at least nine points. Fifteen players saw action as Eau Claire's hitting percentage gradually improved throughout the match.

Eau Claire started the match with a 30-14 win and a .300 hitting percentage followed by a 30-20 win and a .310 percentage. The Blugolds finished off Luther with a 30-21 win and a .520 hitting percentage that included 17 kills.

Jodi Dunbar (So.-Platteville) led Eau Claire with 10 kills while Jenny Wolter (Jr.-Osceola) adding nine kills and a .533 hitting percentage. Jessica Groh (So.-Eau Claire/North) added six kills and six blocks.

Carly Freiborg (So.-Sacred Heart, MN/Renville County West) led with 24 assists while Shanna Berger (So.-Baldwin/Baldwin-Woodville) led with 11 digs. Becca Carstensen (Sr.-Eau Claire/Memorial) led in aces with four.

The Blugolds faced 14th-ranked River Falls in the finals and battled back-and-forth before pulling it out in the fifth game. The Blugolds and the Falcons set the stage for a great match with an exciting first game which saw Eau Claire win 35-33. Eau Claire connected on 17 of 41 attacks for a .195 hitting percentage.

River Falls came back to win the next two games to put the Blugolds down 2-1. Eau Claire was down late in the fourth game but came back to win 30-28 to force a decisive fifth game.

The Blugolds saved their best for last hitting .333 in the fifth game to vault themselves to a 15-9 win and the tournament championship.

Carstensen led three Blugolds in double digit kills with 22 in 45 attacks while Wolter added 12 kills and a team-best .400 hitting percentage. Molly Menard (Jr.-Eau Claire/Memorial) added 12 kills.

Groh led with 10 block assists and 11 total blocks with Wolter adding eight and Carstensen seven. Freiborg had 50 of the team's 54 assists while Menard and Berger led in digs with 15 each.

Carstensen and Freiborg were named to the All-Tournament Team while Lindsay Anderson (Sr.-Deephaven, MN/Hopkins) was given the Lisa Siegenthaler Memorial Award.

The Blugolds will be in action next when they travel to Platteville to play the Pioneers Friday. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Tournament Web Site

- JL -