The No. 9 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team engaged in a thrilling match Friday on Dig Panici Night and Senior Night at Russell Arena, but were outlasted 25-18, 21-25, 19-25, 25-20, 15-12 by UW-Eau Claire in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest.
 
With the loss, the Warhawks (20-6 overall, 5-2 WIAC) clinch the No. 3 seed in next week's conference tournament and will host the loser of Saturday's UW-Oshkosh/UW-Stout match in a first-round match Tuesday at 7 p.m.
 
In the decisive fifth set, UW-Eau Claire (15-10, 6-1) grabbed a 7-3 lead, but UW-Whitewater fought back to tie it at 7-7 and force a Blugold timeout.
 
The Warhawks tallied the next three points to force another UW-Eau Claire timeout at 10-7, but the Blugolds rallied for four of the next five points to tie the set at 11.
 
After a kill by senior middle hitter Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, Ill./Dekalb), UW-Eau Claire finished the match with four straight points to pick up the win.
 
Wagner tied a career high with a match-best 21 kills on a .486 hitting percentage and added three blocks. Senior right side hitter Sydney Racky (Walworth, Wis./Big Foot) posted a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs, and sophomore outside hitter Rachel Butterfield (Milton, Wis./Milton) collected eight kills, four digs and two blocks.
 
Junior setter Elizabeth Niestrom (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) registered a double-double with 46 assists and 10 digs to go along with three service aces, three kills and two blocks. Junior outside hitter Amanda Spera (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) recorded 7 kills, and junior libero Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) led the defense with 32 digs and four assists.
 
In the first set, the Blugolds scored the first four points and extended their lead to 19-12 to force a UW-Whitewater timeout.
 
The Warhawks deflected two set points, but UW-Eau Claire came away with the win to take a 1-0 match lead.
 
The two teams went back and forth to start the second, but a 6-1 run midway through the set put UW-Whitewater ahead 17-13.
 
The Blugolds rattled off four straight points to tie it at 17-17, but the Warhawks pushed back ahead thanks to a kill by Spera, a block by Spera and junior middle hitter Kelley Berk (Cedarburg, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) and an ace by Niestrom, and held on to level the match at 1-1.
 
UW-Whitewater continued its momentum in the fourth, jumping out to a 12-8 advantage to force a UW-Eau Claire timeout. The Warhawks built their lead to 21-14 on the serve of freshman defensive specialist Abigail Boyden (Malta, Ill./DeKalb) and never allowed the Blugolds to get within four the rest of the way.
 
UW-Eau Claire broke a 15-15 tie with three straight points and didn't look back to tie the match and set up a dramatic fifth set.
 
Prior to the match, Racky, Wagner and fellow senior Shelby Clifton (Mountain Grove, Mo./Mountain Grove) were recognized for their achievements during their Warhawk careers.
 
UW-Whitewater also celebrated Dig Panici Night for the fifth time in honor of former Warhawk Lisa Panici, who passed away in 2012 after a battle against brain cancer. All proceeds from t-shirt and bracelet sales and ticket sales will benefit a scholarship set up in Panici's memory.
 
UW-Whitewater hosts Concordia Wisconsin, which is ranked fourth in the Midwest Region, Saturday at 2 p.m. at Russell Arena in the regular season finale for both teams.