The No. 9 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team kept pace in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings Wednesday night, defeating UW-La Crosse 25-19, 25-13, 25-19 at Russell Arena.
 
The Warhawks (15-1 overall, 3-1 WIAC), who remain one game behind UW-Eau Claire in the league standings, took early leads in the first two sets before pulling away late in the third set for their 12th home win of the season.
 
Emma Aske (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) totaled nine kills on a .400 hitting percentage and added three digs. Morgan Wardall (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) posted seven kills on a .583 hitting percentage, while Kirsten Anderson (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) collected seven kills and a team-high three blocks.
 
Jenna Weinfurt (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) tallied five kills, two digs and one block, and Erin McNeil (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) finished with four kills and two blocks.
 
KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) registered 16 assists, one service ace and four digs, while Paige Manssen (Bull Valley, Ill./McHenry West) contributed 13 assists, one ace and six digs.
 
Morgan Jensen (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) led the defense with 16 digs to go with two assists and one ace. Hailey Mackenthun (Webster, Minn./Northfield) added six digs in the back row to go with one ace.
 
UW-Whitewater held the Eagles (15-4, 3-1) to a .000 hitting percentage.
 
The Warhawks never trailed in the opening set, jumping out to a 14-6 advantage. UW-La Crosse chipped away at its deficit tying the set at 18-18 and again at 19-19. UW-W scored the final six points of the period, including back-to-back kills by Weinfurt to end it.
 
UW-Whitewater led 10-2 in the second set and didn't look back. Aske finished with four kills in the set as UW-W hit a .308 and held UW-La Crosse to a minus-.079.
 
The two teams traded points early in the third. With the set tied at 14-14, Manssen served the Warhawks to an 18-14 advantage during a run that included blocks from Aske and Anderson, and Baylie Hansen (Bonduel, Wis./Shawano).
 
The Eagles got as close as three points the rest of the way as UW-W pushed its active winning streak to seven matches.
 
UW-Whitewater takes on No. 23 Washington-St. Louis this Friday on the first day of WashU's National Invitational. Match time is slated for 7 p.m.