HOLLAND, Mich. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire had a successful second day at the Hope College Tournament, winning both matches against Millikin University and No. 12 Hope College.
In their first match, the Blugolds defeated Millikin University in four sets, overcoming a first-set loss to secure a 17-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-14 victory. UW-Eau Claire recorded 54 kills and 8 total blocks, while Millikin managed 42 kills and 12 total blocks. The Blugolds' five service aces contributed to their decisive win in the neutral-site matchup.
UW-Eau Claire fell behind early in the first set due to Millikin's strong offensive performance, highlighted by multiple kills.
Mya Cinnamo led the Blugolds with three kills, but it was not enough to overcome Millikin's momentum as the set concluded at 25-17 in favor of the Big Blue.
The Blugolds capitalized on a strong offensive performance in the second set, securing a 25-20 victory over Millikin.
Bailey Leeke's impressive four consecutive kills helped UW-Eau Claire pull ahead with a decisive 6-0 stretch, taking the score to 10-4. The Blugolds' defensive efforts, highlighted by
Lili Hagg's and Cinnamo's blocks, limited Millikin's scoring opportunities, contributing to their control of the set.
Abby Stanwood sealed the set with a kill, capping off a consistent offensive contribution from
Alex Kiebel's assists.
UW-Eau Claire surged in the third set with a decisive 25-20 victory, powered by a 7-0 run that included key kills from Cinnamo and Leeke. The Blugolds capitalized on Millikin's attack errors, which accounted for several points during the run, while Kiebel facilitated the offense with multiple assists. Two service aces from
Izzy Grace further extended UWEC's lead, solidifying their control over the set.
The Blugolds dominated the fourth set, securing a 25-14 victory over Millikin. Stanwood and Cinnamo combined for multiple kills helping maintain the lead for UWEC, while
Kaitlyn Erickson's strong serving contributed to a crucial service ace that widened the gap. The set concluded with UW-Eau Claire benefiting from a service error by Millikin, sealing the set win.
Cinnamo led the team with 20 kills on 40 swings, finishing with 20.5 points. Leeke added 17 kills and contributed three blocks for a total of 19 points. Stanwood aided the defensive effort with 15 digs while also adding 14 kills. Kiebel facilitated the offense with 43 assists and collected 10 digs.
In their second match, UW-Eau Claire faced Hope College and also triumphed in four sets, winning 9-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-12. After dropping the opening set, the Blugolds rallied with a balanced attack, recording 47 kills to Hope's 45. Both teams registered six service aces, but UW-Eau Claire managed to out-dig Hope 64 to 53, contributing to their strong defensive performance.
Hope controlled the first set with a consistent offensive push, resulting in a 25-9 victory over the visiting Blugolds. The Flying Dutch capitalized on three service aces. Hope's offense held momentum throughout the set, giving the Flying Dutch a 1-0 lead after the opening set.
The Blugolds overcame a mid-set deficit to secure a 25-20 win in the second set, highlighted by Stanwood's offensive impact with six kills, including the decisive point. UWEC benefited from Hope's service errors, with three such errors contributing to their scoring surge. Despite Hope's early lead, the Blugolds' consistent setting from
Alex Kiebel facilitated a strong finish, sealing the set with a 5-1 closing run.
UW-Eau Claire secured the third set with a decisive 25-22 win, highlighted by a late 6-3 run. A key factor was the Blugolds' efficiency, as Cinnamo and Stanwood combined for critical kills, benefiting from Kiebel's precise setting, who registered multiple assists. UWEC managed to capitalize on Hope's mistakes, balancing their own missteps with timely kills and a pivotal service ace from Kiebel.
The Blugolds dominated the fourth set with a strong performance, securing a 25-12 victory. The visitors capitalized on six service aces, with Stanwood and Kiebel each contributing significantly to offensive plays.
Bailey Leeke added crucial kills, helping to maintain momentum while the Flying Dutch struggled with attack errors, committing four that contributed to the decisive outcome. UWEC's ability to pressure Hope's defense resulted in a consistent scoring advantage, ultimately closing the set and the match.
Stanwood led the Blugolds with 21 kills, contributing significantly to her 22.5 total points. Kiebel orchestrated the offense with 39 assists, while also adding three service aces.
Kaitlyn Erickson was active defensively, collecting a team-high 15 digs. Leeke added 10 kills and two blocks, further supporting the team's efforts.
Abby Stanwood finished the tournament with her third straight double-double.
Alex Kiebel finished the weekend with 129 assists in 12 sets.
With these victories, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire improved to 19-2 overall, while Millikin's record stands at 8-10 overall and Hope College holds a 16-5 overall record.
Looking ahead, the Blugolds will return to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play and travel to face UW-River Falls on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The match is set to begin at 7:43 p.m. at the Don Page Arena in River Falls, Wis.
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