EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball team began their 11^th annual Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament on Friday with a pair of games against teams receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches poll. As the Blugolds debuted competition at The Sonnentag Center, UWEC found effective offense and defense to defeat Colorado College and the University of Chicago 3-1 in both games.
 
GAME 1 (3-1 vs. Colorado College)

• With the opening two sets going to extras, the Blugolds kept their composure and kept the Tigers below a swing rate of 18.8% to secure the 3-1 victory in the final two sets.
• Mya Cinnamo (So. – Rosemount, Minn.) and Bailey Leeke (Jr. – Lakeville, Minn.) combined for 29 of UW-Eau Claire's 60 kills on the day as Leeke recorded her fourth straight double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs.
• Kaitlyn Erickson (Fr. – Champlin, Minn.) and Hannah Thole (Fr. – West Des Moines, Iowa) kept the Tiger offense in check with 41 combined digs. Thole transitioned her defensive play into 51 assists to open the day with a win.
• To complement the back row defense, UW-Eau Claire tallied 3 solo blocks and 20 block assists as Lili Hagg (So. – Roscoe, Ill.) and Bailey Leeke combined for 13 block assists and one solo block each.

GAME 2 (3-1 vs. Chicago)

• A shared Blugold attack from Mya Cinnamo, Bailey Leeke, Darienne Andre (Jr. – Lakeville, Minn.), and Hanne Johnson (Jr. – Grantsburg, Wis.) kept Eau Claire swinging above 19% in three of the four sets.
• Despite falling in the opening set, the Blugolds won the next three sets 25-23 over the Maroons to close out the opening night.
• A four-point run in the middle of the fourth set was capped off by a kill from Lili Hagg, giving UWEC a six point lead. Hanne Johnson sealed the 3-1 win over the Maroons with her 11^th kill of the evening to solidify the two-win day.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Blugolds (7-3-0) will be back at The Sonnentag Event Center on Saturday, September 14^th for day two of the Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament. Eau Claire will cap off the tournament with a nonconference match against St. Catherine University at 6 p.m.
 
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