EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's volleyball team returned home on Friday evening as they jumped back into Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play with UW-La Crosse in town. Despite dropping the first set, the Blugolds roared back with three straight set victories to defeat the UW-La Crosse Eagles on Senior Night, 3-1.
In a match that held a combined 23 tie scores and 14 lead changes, UWEC and UWL battled it out for important WIAC point with playoffs just weeks away. The first saw Eau Claire with an early deficit that was wiped away by a 7-1 run, putting the Blugolds in control 11-7. La Crosse refused to let things go easy as they put together a six-point run of their own to tie the match at 15-15. UW-Eau Claire found themselves on the bottom end of the momentum as UWL closed out the set 25-21 to earn the opening set victory.
Bailey Leeke (So. – Lakeville, Minn./North) led the Blugolds in the opening frame with five kills as the offense tallied 13 kills.
The second set found the Blugolds with another early deficit but another 11-7 run by UWEC forced UWL to take a timeout as Eau Claire found a 16-14 lead. A quick four-point run by the Eagles flipped the score on UWEC as they took a timeout with an 18-16 deficit. The Blugold offense turned it around late as
Maren Saunders (Sr. – St. Michael, Minn./STMA),
Mya Cinnamo (Fr. – Rosemount, Minn.), and
Bailey Leeke added to the 9-5 run that earned Eau Claire the 25-23 victory to tie the match at 1-1.
With both teams squared at one set a piece, UW-Eau Claire used the momentum from the second set and their crowd to burst into a 10-5 in the third.
Avery Pennekamp (So. – McFarland, Wis.) led the UWEC offense in the third with five of her 14 total kills. The Blugolds kept their foot on the gas all set as their lead never waivered and grew to as much as ten points.
Charlie Nelson (Sr. – Lakeville, Minn./Farmington) and
Ella Kiebel (So. – Maple Lake, Minn.) combined for 11 assists in the third as the Blugolds hit at a .238 rate. Pennekamp sealed the 25-19 set win with her eighth kills of the night, giving UWEC the 2-1 set lead.
In the fourth, the Blugolds kept their defense tight and scored when it mattered most as they tallied 20 kills and 20 digs in the final frame. An early 10-6 lead was complemented by a 3-1 run as UWL took both of their timeouts after the 16
th and 20
th points.
Avery Pennekamp and Bailey Leek combined for 13 of UWEC's 20 kills as the Blugolds kept their lead safe and sound all the way through. A trio of kills from
Dorci Walker (Fr. – Marshfield, Wis./Columbus Catholic),
Avery Pennekamp, and
Lili Hagg (Fr. – Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) secured the 25-15 fourth set win and a 3-1 match victory for the Blugolds.
On Eau Claire's 14
th point of the night,
Charlie Nelson set up Pennekamp for a kill to earn her 3,000-career assist and 16
th of the night. After the match, seniors
Charlie Nelson,
Sheridan Dettmann (Sr. - Watertown, Wis.),
MacKenzie Houser (Sr. - Pleasant Plains, Ill.),
Selena Levendoski (Sr. - Clear Lake, Wis./Clayton), and
Maren Saunders for their hard work, dedication, and committment to Blugold Volleyball.
The Blugolds (12-10, WIAC 2-3) will enjoy the weekend off before more WIAC competition on Wednesday, October 25
th when they travel to UW-River Falls. First serve from Don Page Arena is set for 7 p.m.
