Box Score The thirteenth-ranked UW-Whitewater volleyball team came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat UW-Eau Claire 3-2 (17-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-15, 15-12) in Eau Claire Saturday afternoon. 

In game one, Whitewater led 7-5, but Eau Claire turned it around, scoring six of the next seven points to lead 11-8.  With the score 21-16, the Blugolds closed out the game scoring five of the last six points.  In game two Whitewater led again, 10-9, but another spurt, this time six of seven, put UW-EC in front 15-11 on the way to making it 2-0 in games.  In the turning point match Whitewater built a 13-8 lead, but the Blugolds' six point run gave them a 14-13 lead.  EC led 23-20 to reach the brink of winning the match, but the Warhawks rallied for five in a row for the win to make it 2-1 EC in games.  Starting fast again, Whitewater led 9-5, then used a streak of nine of the next ten points to pull away 17-6 on the way to evening the match at 2-2.  In the decisive game five, EC took the early lead 5-4.  Seven of the next eight points went to Whitewater for a 11-6 Warhawk lead they never gave back.

Leanna Lillge (Ixonia/Watertown) led UW-W with 17 kills, with Jessica Sabey (Merrill/Merrill) and Brittney Langley (Winnebago, IL/Winnebago) contributing ten each.  Ariel Johnston (Rockford, IL/Guilford) hit .545, and Kim Frei (West Bend/West Bend West) added 34 assists and four service aces.  Kelsey Nobilio (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) topped UW-W with 20 digs.  EC's Amy Bomgren was credited with a match high 25 kills, while Emily Neave recorded 53 assists.  Lauren Sutherland led the Blugolds with 17 digs.

UW-W, 12-4 overall and 2-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, will play at UW-La Crosse Wednesday the 26th.  The next home match for UW-W will be Friday, September 28 at 3:00 versus UW-Oshkosh in the Whitewater Invite.  At 7:00 Friday the Warhawks will play Cornell College, with two matches slated for Saturday in the Kris Russell Volleyball Arena in Williams Center on campus.


TF/bj