Chippewa Valley Times

UW-Eau Claire's volleyball team opened the Sandy Schumacher Tournament with a straight-set win over St. Catherine on Friday at The Sonnentag Event Center. The Blugolds posted set scores of 25-19, 25-16, and 27-25.

The Blugolds maintained a .274 hitting percentage for the match, while St. Catherine finished at .146. UW-Eau Claire also registered seven service aces, bringing their season average to 7.44 aces per game.

In the opening set, Eau Claire overcame an early deficit and secured a 25-19 victory. Abby Stanwood led with eight kills, including the point that ended the set. Bailey Leeke contributed four kills and two service aces during the frame.

The second set saw UW-Eau Claire capitalize on errors from St. Catherine to take a 25-16 win. Stanwood continued her strong play with key kills and Kaitlyn Erickson added a service ace. Defensive blocks by Izzy Grace and Lili Hagg helped maintain the lead as Eau Claire closed out the set on a 6-2 run in front of more than 500 spectators.

In the third set, UWEC edged St. Catherine 27-25 after holding off a late rally from the Wildcats. Stanwood again provided important kills down the stretch while Leeke added multiple points in what was described as UWEC's best hitting set of the night.

Stanwood finished with 17 kills and contributed 18.5 points overall for UW-Eau Claire. Leeke had 11 kills, four total blocks, and ended with 15.5 points. Alex Kiebel recorded 18 assists; Hannah Thole added another 16 assists along with two service aces.

With this result, UWEC moves to an overall record of 8-1 this season while St. Catherine drops to 3-6.

Looking ahead, "the Blugolds continue play during the Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament and are set to face Lakeland University on Saturday, Sept. 13," according to information released by university athletics staff members about upcoming events at The Sonnentag Event Center.

For more updates throughout the season visit Blugolds.com or follow them through their official app or social media channels including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.