EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (www.blugolds.com)
— The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball team wrapped up a successful weekend at The Sonnentag, defeating Coe 3-1 and St. Catherine 3-1 on Saturday. The Blugolds showcased their strength with set scores of 25-13, 25-22, 17-25, 25-23 against Coe, and 25-16, 25-15, 24-26, 25-22 against St. Catherine.
In the match against Coe, UW-Eau Claire won the first set decisively 25-13, with 10 kills and four service aces, led by
Alex Kiebel's seven assists and an ace.
Makina Larson contributed to a balanced attack with three kills, while Coe struggled with six kills and one ace, along with giving away 11 points through errors.
The Blugolds took the second set 25-22 after overcoming a 22-22 tie, capitalizing on a Coe service error, a
Rachel Johnson ace, and a
Brynlee Major kill. UW-Eau Claire recorded 16 kills, led by four apiece from
Norah Erickson and Johnson. Coe managed 15 kills in the third set, taking it 25-17, while UW-Eau Claire had 11 kills, with
Mya Cinnamo leading with three.
In the fourth set against Coe, UW-Eau Claire clinched the match 25-23, finishing strong after a tie at 23, thanks to consecutive points on Coe attack errors.
Rachel Johnson excelled with five kills and a service ace during this set, and both teams recorded four team blocks.
Against St. Catherine, the Blugolds dominated the first set 25-16, recording 17 kills and four service aces, with
Norah Erickson,
Mya Cinnamo,
Rachel Johnson, and
Autumn Stream each contributing three kills. Stream served a crucial four-point stretch that included back-to-back aces.
The second set was similarly controlled by UW-Eau Claire, winning 25-15, fueled by a 7-of-8 stretch that propelled them from 11-6 to 18-7. The Blugolds' service game was strong, racking up eight service aces across five players, with
Alex Kiebel leading with three.
In the third set, UW-Eau Claire battled back from a 19-14 deficit, but despite four kills each from
Rachel Johnson,
Brynlee Major, and
Norah Erickson, St. Catherine edged out the set 26-24. However, the Blugolds rebounded to win the fourth set 25-22, powered by 15 kills, with Major leading with five.
Major finished the match against St. Catherine with 15 kills and 15.0 points while hitting .481, and
Alex Kiebel recorded 30 assists and four service aces.
Hannah Thole added 20 assists and four service aces, while
Rachel Johnson contributed 11 kills and five digs.
Mya Cinnamo,
Rachel Johnson, and
Kaitlyn Erickson were recognized on the All-Tournament Team.
With these victories, UW-Eau Claire improves to 5-1 overall, while Coe falls to 3-4 and St. Catherine drops to 2-6.
Up next, the UW-Eau Claire volleyball team hosts Bethel University on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. at The Sonnentag in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at
Blugolds.com or on our app,
Blugold Sports, and on social media on
Twitter,
Instagram,
Facebook, and
TikTok.
