The No. 8 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team posted its 16th consecutive win Friday night with a 25-20, 25-18, 25-17 triumph against UW-Stout in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest at Russell Arena.
 
The Warhawks (24-1 overall, 6-1 WIAC) hit .274 for the match and held advantages in blocks (7-3) and service aces (6-4) to improve to 16-0 playing at home in 2021.
 
Erin McNeil (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) led UW-Whitewater with 10 kills on a .714 hitting percentage to go with two blocks. Morgan Wardall (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) tallied nine kills, and Jenna Weinfurt (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) registered eight kills, three digs and two blocks.
 
Emma Aske (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley), Kirsten Anderson (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) and Baylie Hansen (Bonduel, Wis./Shawano) tallied four kills apiece. Aske added seven digs, Anderson collected four blocks and Hansen finished with two blocks.
 
KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) generated 21 assists, four digs and a team-best three service aces. Paige Manssen (Bull Valley, Ill./McHenry West) totaled 10 assists and five digs.
 
Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) contributed 11 digs, two assists and one service ace.
 
Sotiros and Manssen served the Warhawks to a 10-6 lead in the opening set, and Hailey Mackenthun (Webster, Minn./Northfield) served to extend the advantage to 14-8.
 
The Blue Devils (14-12, 1-6) drew to within 16-13, but UW-W scored the next four points on Jensen's serve and pulled away to take a 1-0 match lead.
 
UW-Whitewater took the lead for good at 3-2 in the second set. UW-Stout scored six straight points to pull within 20-16, but the Warhawks earned five of the last seven points, including a set-sealing block by McNeil and Wardall.
 
UW-W led the entire way in the third set on its way to its sixth conference win of the season.
 
The Warhawks recognized longtime bus driver, friend and supporter Scotie Hudson during the match, giving away his bobblehead to fans in attendance. Hudson drove the team for more than 20 years as a driver for Van Galder/Coach USA before retiring this year.
 
UW-Whitewater concludes the regular season Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Lakeland on Senior Day at Russell Arena. The program will recognize Aske, Mackenthun, Manssen, McNeil, Sotiros, Wardall and Emily Gillen (Richfield, Wis./Slinger) prior to the match.