The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women’s volleyball team defeated the University of Chicago in four sets on Friday at Ratner Athletics Center. The Blugolds won by scores of 23-25, 25-15, 25-16, and 25-16.
UW-Eau Claire’s offense recorded 46 kills and eight service aces. Their defense was effective, registering 12 total blocks and holding the Maroons to a .024 hitting percentage.
In the first set, both teams exchanged leads. Abby Stanwood and Bailey Leeke each contributed multiple kills for UW-Eau Claire. Norah Erickson tied the score at 22-22 with a kill from Hannah Thole’s assist, but UChicago took the set after Caroline Sele scored off a Kennedy Cheung assist.
The Blugolds responded in the second set with Darienne Andre starting the scoring on an assist from Alex Kiebel. Stanwood’s service ace led to a six-point run that helped UW-Eau Claire pull away. Mya Cinnamo finished the set with a kill, as UChicago struggled with errors.
Leeke opened the third set with an early kill for UWEC. Stanwood added several more kills from Thole’s sets to build a lead. UChicago committed multiple errors during this stretch, allowing UW-Eau Claire to extend their advantage. Stanwood closed out the set with another kill.
In the fourth set, Cinnamo delivered a service ace as part of an early streak for UWEC. Stanwood and Andre continued to add points through kills, while Thole provided key assists including one to Lili Hagg. Despite efforts by UChicago to close the gap, UW-Eau Claire secured victory through consistent play and capitalizing on opponent mistakes.
Stanwood led all players with 19 kills and four service aces for a total of 24.5 points. Andre had five kills without an error on seven attempts for a .714 attack percentage and added three blocks. Erickson posted seven kills on 18 attempts (.333) along with four block assists. Hagg contributed five blocks defensively.
With this win, UW-Eau Claire moves to a 4-1 overall record in non-conference play while UChicago drops to 2-2 overall.
Fans can follow more updates about UW-Eau Claire athletics at https://www.blugolds.com/landing/index or through their official app and social media channels.
