Eau Claire, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball team dropped a ranked clash against No. 6 UW-Oshkosh 3-2 on Wednesday at the Sonnentag Event Center. The 24th-ranked Blugolds gave the Titans all they could handle, but UW-Oshkosh held on in the decisive fifth set for a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UW-Oshkosh won 25-15, 21-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-11.
- The Titans pulled away in the opening set, closing the game on a 9-2 run. It turned a 16-13 lead into a 25-15 set win.
- UW-Eau Claire responded well in the second set. The Blugolds only trailed once in the set, and a kill from Bailey Leeke (Jr. – Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) started a 4-0 run early on that put UW-Eau Claire up for good. The Titans narrowed the deficit to one later in the game, but the Blugolds held on and clinched the set with back-to-back kills from Mya Cinnamo (So. – Rosemount, Minn.).
- The Blugolds rallied from a late four-point deficit in the third set, but ultimately couldn't take a 2-1 match lead. The Titans were ahead 23-19, but UW-Eau Claire won six of the ensuing eight points to tie the set at 25. However, UW-Oshkosh mustered back-to-back kills to snag a 2-1 advantage.
- UW-Eau Claire forced a fifth set with a strong showing down the stretch in the fourth. The Titans led 23-22, but the Blugolds rattled off three straight points to send the match to a fifth set.
- The Blugolds' final lead of the night came at 6-5 in the fifth set. UW-Oshkosh went on a 4-0 run from there and led the rest of the way, although never by more than four points.
- Ella Kiebel (Jr. – Maple Lake, Minn.) set a new career high with 60 assists.
- Cinnamo had a team-high 20 kills — her second-best total this season. Leeke finished with 17 kills and Abby Stanwood (Jr. – Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka) added 16. Kaitlyn Erickson (Jr. – Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) made 25 digs and Lili Hagg (So. – Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) made six blocks.
- The defeat ended the Blugolds' seven-game win streak.
UP NEXT
UW-Eau Claire will look to bounce back when it hosts Luther College for a nonconference matchup on Saturday, November 2. Match time is set for 4 p.m. at the Sonnentag Event Center. The Blugolds will be celebrating Senior Night.
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