Fourteenth ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's volleyball team increased their win streak to eight today with the 3-1 win over UW-Eau Claire. The match scores played out 29-31, 26-24, 29-27, 25-22.
After Eau Claire was able to sneak away with the 29-31 win in game one the Warhawks put together a 7-1 run in the second game the proved to be too much for the Blugolds as they took game two 26-24.
The Blugolds jumped out in game three with a 5-1 run and increased their lead to 15-7 at one point in the match. But the Warawks put together a 6-2 run to decrease the lead to four at 13-17 and another 9-2 run to take over the lead 22-21. Whitewater was then able to get back-to-back points two more times to take the win in another shootout, 29-27.
Game four was all Whitewater as they had two huge runs of six and four that swung the momentum to the Warhawks and the lead proved to be too much for Eau Claire as Whitewater took the game 25-22 and the match.
The comparison of team statistics is quite similar in every facet of the game. Whitewater had 60 kills and 8 blocks to Eau Claire's 56 kills and 9 blocks. Defensively the Warhawks had 83 digs and the Blugolds had 81.
Caitlin Hogan (New London/New London) led the Warhawks at the net with 17 kills followed closely by Kelly Sorenson's 15. Melissa Zuleger (Little Chute/Little Chute) and Liz Benzschawel (Madison/Edgewood) stood tall at the net combining for thirteen kills, a solo block and seven block assists. Whitewater had four players in double digits for digs, Alyssa Bauer (Naperville, IL/Central) with 31, Sorenson with 18, and Christina Degroot (Kewaskum/Kewaskum) and Stacy Karls (Lodi/Lodi) added 10 a piece.
The Blugolds had three players in double figures for kills headed by senior Abby Freiborg with 17, sophomore Rachel Ver Voort with 14 and senior Jenna Weber added 10 more. Eau Claire also matched Whitewater with four players in double digit digs led by juniors Cassie Hunt's 21 and Lindsey Smith's 19, and Ver Voort and Freiborg added 15 and 12 respectively.
The win for the Warhawks increased their win streak to eight and brings there overall record to 21-6 and 6-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Blugolds drop to 14-10 overall and 6-1 in the WIAC.
Whitewater will continue play Friday, October 24 as they host the Whitewater Invitational with games against Wartburg and Coe Colleges at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm respectively.
