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The No. 16 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team opened its 2019 season Friday with a pair of non-conference victories at the UW-Whitewater Invitational at Russell Arena.
The Warhawks (2-0 overall) topped MSOE 25-14, 25-20, 25-20 to start the day before downing Lakeland 25-11, 25-20, 26-24 in the nightcap.
Against MSOE (0-1), UW-Whitewater held a 7-2 advantage in blocks and held the Raiders to a minus-.092 hitting percentage for the match.
Sophomore middle hitter
Morgan Wardall (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) paced the Warhawks with nine kills to go along with three blocks. Sophomore outside hitter
Emma Aske (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) totaled seven kills and four digs, and senior middle hitter
Ashton Doll (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) contributed five kills and three blocks.
Sophomore setter
KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) tallied 14 assists and four digs, and sophomore setter
Paige Manssen (Bull Valley, Ill./McHenry West) added nine assists and two digs.
Sophomore defensive specialist
Hailey Mackenthun (Webster, Minn./Northfield) paced the defense with eight digs and added three assists, and freshman defensive specialist
Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) corralled six digs.
UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 6-1 lead on Aske's serve and never trailed in the set, building its lead to double digits at 14-4 and adding onto it from that point.
The two teams traded points for much of the second set before the Warhawks ran off the final four points of the frame, capped by a kill by senior outside hitter
Rachel Butterfield (Milton, Wis./Milton) and a block by Wardall and freshman outside hitter
Chloe Buescher (Janesville, Wis./Milton).
MSOE took a 6-4 advantage in the third and the set was back and forth until a 5-1 run gave UW-Whitewater a 21-16 lead. The Raiders scored the next two points, but the Warhawks rallied for four of the final six points to close out the win.
In the match against Lakeland (1-1), UW-Whitewater's defense was strong again, holding the Muskies to a .090 hitting percentage.
The Warhawks started the match hot, hitting a .389 in the first set and not looking back.
Buescher registered 10 kills, four blocks and three digs, and Wardall contributed nine kills on a .533 hitting percentage to go along with two blocks. Doll recorded nine kills and four blocks, and Butterfield added eight blocks.
Manssen and Sotiros finished with 21 and 18 assists, respectively. Aske and Jensen led the defense with 13 digs apiece, while Mackenthun racked up eight digs and Sotiros added six.
UW-Whitewater concludes play at the UW-Whitewater Invitational Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against Carleton (Minn.).
