Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team won two four-set matches Saturday at the Concordia (Wis.) Tri in Mequon.
 
The Warhawks (11-5 overall) downed the host Falcons 25-22, 17-25, 27-25, 26-24 to start the day before besting Maranatha Baptist 24-26, 25-17, 25-13, 25-20. The team recorded 126 kills in the two matches combined.
 
Against CUW (8-3), senior middle blocker Kristen Ruchti (Brodhead/Brodhead) tied a UW-Whitewater season high with 17 kills to go along with three blocks. Junior outside hitter Jessica Sabey (Merrill/Merrill) added 13 kills, while junior right side hitter Brittney Langley (Winnebago, IL/Winnebago) totaled eight kills.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Pfeifer (Fort Atkinson/Fort Atkinson) added eight kills, 13 digs and three blocks. Senior setter Kim Frei (West Bend/West Bend West) tallied 42 asssists, five kills and four digs.
 
Senior libero Kelsey Nobilio (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) led the defense with 32 digs to go with eight assists.
 
UW-Whitewater trailed 10-4 in the first set but slowly clawed back, eventually tying the set at 17-17. From there, the two teams exchanged points before the Warhawks took the last five points and the set.
 
After a second straight slow start and loss in the second, UW-Whitewater regained control of the match in a closely-contested third frame. The Warhawks jumped out to a 9-3 advantage and withstood several rallies by the Falcons during the set, hitting a match-best .292 to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The fourth set also went to extra points despite UW-Whitewater taking an 18-11 lead just over midway through. Pfeifer posted kills on two of the Warhawks' last four points in the set.
 
Against Maranatha Baptist (11-4), UW-Whitewater brushed off a first-set loss to roll through the last three, recording a sizzling .615 hitting percentage with 17 kills in 26 attacks and just one attack error in the third frame.
 
Ruchti led the Warhawks with 15 kills, while Pfeifer posted a double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs and tied for the team lead with four blocks. Freshman middle blocker Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, IL/Dekalb) registered 12 kills, five digs and four blocks.
 
Four others totaled 10 or more digs for UW-Whitewater, including Nobilio with 19, sophomore defensive specialist Tessa Weber (Pleasant Prairie/Tremper) with 15, Frei with 12 and junior defensive specialist Jaclyn Krizka (Roscoe, IL/Hononegah) with 12. Frei tallied a season-high 58 assists and led the team with three service aces.
 
The Warhawks begin a stretch of three matches in four days Wednesday at UW-Platteville in their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener. Match time is set for 7 p.m.