The No. 8 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team saw its remarkable 16-match win streak come to an end Wednesday night, falling 25-19, 25-22, 25-17 at UW-La Crosse in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference affair.
 
The Warhawks (26-4 overall, 4-2 WIAC) finished the match with a season-low .081 hitting percentage in their first loss since Sept. 23 at UW-Oshkosh.
 
Junior outside hitter Lauren Pfeifer (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) led the offense with nine kills, and junior setter Staci Hasler (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) totaled 24 assists and seven digs.
 
Sophomore middle hitter Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, Ill./Dekalb) collected a team-high four blocks, and senior right side hitter Brittney Langley (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) and freshman middle hitter Kelley Berk (Cedarburg, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) posted four kills and three blocks apiece.
 
Freshman defensive specialist Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) led the defense with 12 digs. Junior defensive specialist Tessa Weber (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) recorded 10 digs.
 
The Eagles (18-8, 5-1) jumped out to a 10-5 advantage in the first set and didn't look back. UW-Whitewater rallied behind Pfeifer's serve to cut its deficit to 18-16, but UW-La Crosse registered five of the next six points to regain control.
 
In the second, the two teams exchanged points until the Warhawks tallied four straight points, including a block and a kill by Berk, to take a 19-16 lead. The Eagles responded with six of the next eight points to tie the set at 22-22 before scoring the final three points to take a 2-0 match lead.
 
UW-La Crosse used runs of 5-0 and 7-3 to take a 17-12 advantage in the third. UW-Whitewater recorded the next two points to cut into the deficit, but the Eagles responded with the next four points and eventually claimed the set.
 
The Warhawks host UW-Eau Claire Friday at 7 p.m. in their WIAC finale. UW-Whitewater will also celebrate the careers and accomplishments of its senior class on Senior Night at Russell Arena.
 
Donations for Whitewater LEADS, a literacy advocacy program in the Whitewater area, will be accepted upon entrance Friday. Funds will be used to purchase books.