STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - With two matches on day one of the UW-Eau Claire volleyball team's 2009 season, the Blugolds dropped only one set and defeated two conference rivals today at Berg Gymnasium.

In match one against UW-Stevens Point, Eau Claire won 3-0 with scores of 25-22, 25-16 and 25-21 while taking the second match against UW-Whitewater 3-1 with scores of 25-22, 25-16, 20-25 and 25-19.

The 20th-ranked Blugolds finished their first match with a hitting percentage of .280 while Stevens Point was able to finish hitting only .069.

Rachel Ver Voort (Jr.-Madison, Wis.) led the Blugolds with 14 kills in 21 total attempts to finish with a career-best .619 hitting percentage. She also finished with 11 digs, tying teammate Lindsey Smith (Sr.-Maple Lake, Minn.) to lead the team. Amanda Lessner (Jr.-Watertown, Wis.) led the Blugolds with 24 assists.

In the second match against No. 15 UW-Whitewater, the Blugolds once again recorded a better hitting percentage, but by a narrower margin. Eau Claire finished the four-set match with a .184 hitting percentage while the Warhawks hit .108.

Ver Voort once again had a team-high 11 kills while Liz Amici (So.-Whitewater, Wis.) and Emily Zupon (Jr.-Antigo, Wis.) each added nine. Smith led the Blugolds with 20 digs while Lessner recorded 26 assists.

The Blugolds will be at home this weekend for the 2009 Labor Day Classic. Five teams will compete in the two-day tournament with each team playing four matches. Friday's action will start at 3 p.m. while competition will get underway at 10 a.m. Saturday in the McPhee Physical Education Center.