OSHKOSH, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's volleyball team returned to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play on Wednesday evening as they traveled East to face off with the #2 ranked UW-Oshkosh Titans. The Blugolds bounced back in the second set to tie the game at 1-1 as
Mya Cinnamo (Fr. – Rosemount, Minn.) led the offense with 8 kills on the night. UW-Eau Claire fell in the following two sets to fall 3-1 to the Titans.
The contest itself held 17 tie scores and 8 lead changes over the course of the four sets. The opening set saw both WIAC squads battle fiercely as they traded the first eight points of the match. A 6-1 run by UW-Oshkosh gave the Blugolds a 10-5 deficit. Eau Claire continued to trade points with the Titans in the first half cut were kept at a distance as UWO took the first set, 25-18.
Mya Cinnamo and
Darienne Andre (So. – Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) each recorded a solo block in the opening frame.
In the second set, the Blugold offense found their rhythm with a six-point run, earning themselves an 11-5 lead. During the run, kills from Andre,
Avery Pennekamp (So. – McFarland, Wis.), and
Charlie Nelson (Sr. – Lakeville, Minn./Farmington) were complemented by a service ace as the Blugolds took control. The UWEC lead was never touched as
Sophia Brown (Jr. – Colgate, Wis./Germantown) and
Bailey Leeke (So. – Lakeville, Minn./North) helped close out the frame with late kills to push UWEC to a 25-16 set win.
The third and fourth sets held a similar narrative to each other as both squads found themselves trading points in the early stages. UW-Oshkosh recorded separate runs of three in both frames, putting UW-Eau Claire behind with room to make up. The undefeated Titans fended off any Eau Claire attack as
Avery Pennekamp and
Darienne Andre led the team in each frame with three kills apiece. UWEC made late pushes in both sets, but Oshkosh shut down any comeback attempt, winning the sets 25-15 and 25-17 to give the Blugolds their third WIAC loss of the season.
Charlie Nelson held a game high of 25 assists on the evening while
Sheridan Dettmann (Sr. – Watertown, Wis.) recorded 26 digs from the back row.
The Blugolds (9-10, WIAC 1-3) will hit the road on Saturday, October 14
th for a single game in the UW-Whitewater Invitational. UWEC will face Carthage College at 5 p.m. at Russell Arena in Whitewater, Wis.
