CHICAGO (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball team knocked off a ranked opponent for the second match in a row, taking down No. 21 North Park 3-2 on Friday. The Blugolds pulled away in the decisive fifth set to score its third win over a ranked opponent this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Blugolds won 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 20-25, 17-15.
- With the score tied at 22 in the first set, the Blugolds pulled away for an early lead with help from an ace by Bailey Leeke (Jr. – Lakeville, Minn./North) and a kill from Abby Stanwood (Jr. – Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka). They won three of the final four points of the set.
- The Vikings answered with a 25-21 victory in the second set. A 5-1 run helped them pull away.
- A strong start to the third set helped UW-Eau Claire rebound. The Blugolds won five of the first six points and later led 7-3. North Park later pulled within two of the lead at 20-18, but three kills from Leeke down the stretch put the set away for UW-Eau Claire.
- The Vikings responded with a 25-20 win in the fourth set with help from an early 7-0 run. Despite a 5-0 spurt of its own late in the set, UW-Eau Claire couldn't recover from the deficit and the match went to a fifth set.
- The back-and-forth final set saw UW-Eau Claire lead 4-0 before North Park rallied back. Another 4-0 run for the Blugolds turned a 10-10 game into a 14-10 lead, but the Vikings saved four match points to extend the action. The Blugolds eventually put it away after a pair of North Park errors.
- Ella Kiebel (Jr. – Maple Lake, Minn.) tallied 50 assists for the second consecutive match. She and Stanwood also had 19 digs apiece.
- Leeke finished with 22 kills and 17 digs.
UP NEXT
The Blugolds will take on Augustana College at UW-Stevens Point's Papa John's Invite on Saturday, October 12. Match time is 1 p.m. at Berg Gym.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at
Blugolds.com or on our app,
Blugold Sports, and on social media on
Twitter,
Instagram, and
Facebook.
