BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's volleyball team hit the road on Friday for a late season nonconference tournament hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University. UW-Eau Claire faced off with the University of Chicago during the evening slate as the Blugolds and Maroons battled it out on the hardwood of the Shirk Center. Despite early leads in each three sets, UWEC fell to Chicago 3-0 to begin the invitational.
Avery Pennekamp (So. – McFarland, Wis.) led the Blugolds in the opening set with three of the team's ten total kills as Eau Claire tried to set the tone early with a 3-1 start. Chicago found their first lead of the evening moments later with a four-point run, making it 5-4. From there, UWEC struggled to combine their points as the Maroons built their lead up to 12-8. After multiple timeouts by the Blugolds, UWEC kept chipping away at the four-point lead but were eventually beaten 25-19 in the opening set.
The second set held a similar song to the first as Eau Claire found their first lead but were passed moments later by Chicago. An initial 7-4 deficit was increased to 20-10 by Chicago as the Blugolds played catch up for most of the middle frame.
Sheridan Dettmann (Sr. – Watertown, Wis.) led the defense in the second with eight digs and eight successful service receptions as she finished the night with a team high 19 digs and 22 receptions off serves. A pair of three point runs by the Blugolds brought the deficit down to seven points, but UWEC ran out of time as Chicago took the second set, 25-17.
In the third, both squads traded points back and forth in the early stages as Eau Claire fought to extend the contest.
Avery Pennekamp and
Maren Saunders (Sr. – Saint Michael, Minn. both recorded three kills each as they combined for 16 kills on the evening. Despite an even matchup in the beginning, Chicago pulled away late in the set with multiple runs as they secured the 3-0 defeat of UW-Eau Claire, 25-18.
The Blugolds (12-12, WIAC 2-4) will stay in Illinois as they play twice on Saturday, October 28
th to conclude the IWU Invitational. UWEC will face Millikin University at 10 a.m. and Ill. Wesleyan University at 3 p.m. from the Shirk Center.
