EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The 15th-ranked UW-Eau Claire volleyball team gave 8th-ranked UW-Whitewater a tough fight but fell in the end 3-1 at the McPhee Physical Education Center tonight.

The Blugolds (7-3, 1-1 WIAC) came out strong scoring the first four points of the match. The Blugolds continued playing well and found themselves up 21-19 before the Warhawks (10-1, 2-0 WIAC) eventually tied it up and went on to win 25-22 in set one.

The teams hung close in the second set despite Whitewater jumping out to a 5-0 lead. The Blugolds stormed back and tied it up at 6-6 and the teams then went back and forth before the Blugolds took the 26-24 victory.

The third set was a rough one for the Blugolds as they lost 25-16 but regained their composure in the fourth set. The Blugolds found themselves up 13-8 at one point in the set but the Warhawks caught up and tied it 22-22 before the teams went back and forth once again. Despite a number of Warhawk miscues in the final minutes of the last set, the Blugolds couldn't capitalize and fell 30-28.

Danielle Lucia (Sr.-St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) led the Blugolds tonight with 10 kills as she finished with a hitting percentage of .333. Rachel Ver Voort (Sr.-Madison, Wis./Middleton) added nine kills.

Two Blugolds reached double-figures in digs with Blair Murphy (Sr.-Hermantown, Minn.) leading the way with 30 while Amanda Lessner (Sr.-Watertown, Wis.) recorded 31 of the team's 36 assists.

The Blugolds will have to regroup quickly as they face UW-Stevens Point tomorrow at noon in McPhee.