The No. 14 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team remained unbeaten for the 2017 season Wednesday night with an impressive 25-19, 25-14, 25-18 victory at No. 22 Elmhurst in a non-conference affair in Elmhurst, Ill.
In a rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament second round, the Warhawks (4-0) posted a strong team hitting percentage of .301 and held the Bluejays (3-2) to .082 on the other side of the net.
Senior right side hitter
Sydney Racky (Walworth, Wis./Big Foot) registered 14 kills and six digs to go along with a .500 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter
Amanda Spera (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) collected seven kills and six service aces, and senior middle hitter
Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, Ill./Dekalb) finished with nine kills.
Junior setter
Elizabeth Niestrom (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) tallied 33 assists and nine digs, and junior libero
Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) led the defense with 18 digs.
In the first set, UW-Whitewater won a stretch of seven of nine points to turn a 5-4 lead into a 12-6 advantage. Elmhurst narrowed its deficit to 22-19, but the Warhawks ran off the final three points in the period as Spera put a cap on the set with a service ace.
The second set also started with the two teams going back and forth, but UW-Whitewater took seven of the eight seven points after a 6-6 tie to forge a 13-7 advantage. The Bluejays got no closer than five the rest of the set.
Elmhurst started the third set with four straight points and led 12-3. After trailing 14-5, the Warhawks ran off 14 consecutive points on Spera's serve during a surge that included three kills by Racky.
Sophomore outside hitter
Rachel Butterfield (Milton, Wis./Milton) registered two of her five kills over the last part of the match to help UW-Whitewater close out its fourth win over the Bluejays in the last five contests between the two teams.
The Warhawks play their home opening match this Friday at 3 p.m. against Lewis & Clark (Ore.) in their first of three matches in the UW-Whitewater Invitational.