Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball team continued its participation in the Battlefield Classic on Saturday, competing against Gettysburg University and Dickinson College. The Blugolds concluded the tournament with a 2-2 record after a narrow loss to Gettysburg and a decisive victory over Dickinson.

In their first match against Gettysburg, the Blugolds initially led with a 2-0 set advantage, largely due to Bailey Leeke's 14 kills in just two frames. Leeke achieved a career-high of 25 kills by the end of the game. UW-Eau Claire also found success from the service line in the second set, with Bailey Leeke and Hannah Thole each contributing two service aces, while Norah Erickson added one more as part of the team's ten total aces.

Despite surpassing 30% attacking rates in their initial set victories, UW-Eau Claire's performance dipped below 25% in the final three sets, leading to their eventual defeat. The fifth and final tiebreaker set saw three lead changes before Gettysburg secured a win with a 6-3 run.

In their second match against Dickinson College, UW-Eau Claire achieved a straightforward victory. This encounter marked the first meeting between these two teams. Lilli Hagg led her team with 12 kills on 16 attempts and collected 14 total points along with recording the only solo block of the contest.

Hannah Thole completed her day with 77 assists as UW-Eau Claire's sole setter. Abby Stanwood, Bailey Leeke, Mya Cinnamo, and Kaitlyn Erickson collectively accounted for 13 of the team's 15 service aces. The Blugolds maintained control throughout this match without trailing at any point during their straight-set sweep.

Looking ahead, UW-Eau Claire (2-2) will prepare for another road tournament on September 6th and 7th at Augsburg University. They are scheduled to face Nebraska Wesleyan on Friday and George Fox along with Gustavus Adolphus on Saturday.