ST. PAUL, Minn. - The UW-Eau Claire volleyball team advances to the second round of the NCAA tournament after knocking off 17th ranked Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) in a three-set sweep today at Schoenecker Arena. The Blugolds will now face St. Benedict (Minn.) on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Throughout the match, the Blugolds were able to take advantage of Gustavus errors and turn them into points. In earning the victory today, Eau Claire has now managed to win 15 of its 24 matches via the sweep. The Blugolds improve to 24-11 on the year, while Gustavus ends its season with a 26-5 record.

In the opening set, Eau Claire got down 3-1 early before capitalizing on two Gustie errors to take a 7-5 lead. The Blugolds would not give up its lead the remainder of the set and picked up the win 25-18. Gustavus managed to jump out to a 7-5 lead to open the second set, but as they have done all season long, Eau Claire refused to stay down. Jenna Weber (Sr.-Antigo, Wis.) would contribute two big kills late in the match to give the Blugolds the lead, and with the score 24-21, she finished the set with a third kill. The final set of the match proved to be back and forth from the start. Trading kills throughout the set, the Blugolds were able to grab a 23-21 edge in the waning moments of the contest. A Danielle Lucia (So.-St. Cloud, Minn/Apollo) kill would be the clincher in the third, as Eau Claire beats Gustavus by a score of 25-21.

Abby Freiborg (Sr.-Sacred Heart, Minn./Renville County West) led a trio of Blugolds with double-digit kills. Freiborg picked up 14, while Lucia and Emily Zupon (So.-Antigo, Wis.) recorded 12 and 11, respectively. Taking care of setting duties with 48 assists was senior Emily Haese (Mishicot, Wis.). Libero Lindsey Smith {((Jr.-Maple Lake, Minn.) led the charge defensively, picking up a match-high 20 digs, with Freiborg chipping in with 19.

Meghan Gehring led Gustavus with 10 kills, and Emily Klein tallied 17 digs in the losing effort.

Friday's match will mark the 25th meeting all-time between Eau Claire and St. Benedict. The 23rd ranked Blazers advanced to the second round of the tournament by beating Simpson College (Iowa) in four sets. The Blugolds have a slight edge in the series with a 13-11 record. The last meeting between the two teams took place this season, with St. Benedict coming out on top in three sets. Friday's contest is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. at Schoenecker Arena on the campus of the University of St. Thomas

Eau Claire-Gustavus Results

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