Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball team extended its winning streak to five matches with a 3-0 victory over Bethel University on Friday night at the Robertson Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Blugolds secured the win by taking the first two sets comfortably and maintaining their performance in the third set.

The Blugolds, now holding a record of 16-6, defeated the Royals with scores of 25-15, 25-10, and 25-22. UW-Eau Claire's offensive efforts were evident with a .286 hitting percentage compared to Bethel's .065.

Kaitlyn Erickson achieved a career high by recording 31 digs, surpassing her previous best of 25. Ella Kiebel continued her consistent performance by delivering more than 30 assists for the fifth consecutive match, exceeding 40 assists on Friday. Bailey Leeke also maintained her form with double-digit kills for the fifth match in a row, leading the team with 14 kills against Bethel.

A significant moment came during a 7-2 run midway through the first set that put UW-Eau Claire ahead at 18-10. Mya Cinnamo contributed three kills among the final four points to secure the set win. In the second set, UW-Eau Claire claimed ten consecutive points for an easy victory, bringing them to a 2-0 lead in matches.

Despite trailing Bethel at 21-19 in the third set, UW-Eau Claire finished strong by outscoring them 6-1 to conclude the match. Lili Hagg played a key role by executing back-to-back kills that initiated this decisive spurt.

Looking ahead, UW-Eau Claire will host a triangular event at McPhee Center on October 26. They will celebrate Alumni Day during their match against UW-Stout at 2 p.m., followed by another match against St. Olaf at 6 p.m.

For ongoing updates throughout their season, fans can follow Blugolds' progress via Blugolds.com or through their app "Blugold Sports" and social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.