By: Jake Krier, UWEC Sports Information
LISLE, Ill. (blugolds.com) - Fresh off their big win over UW-Whitewater on Friday night, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball team concluded their regular season with a pair of matches at the Benedictine University Eagle Classic. The day was highlighted by knocking off the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, Wittenberg.
In the opener, the Blugolds defeated Greenville University in four sets, handing the Panthers only their sixth loss on the season. Greenville won a close second set, 27-25, but Eau Claire was victorious 25-19 in set one, 25-14 in the third set, and 25-21 in the fourth.
Jessica Coyne (Jr.-Verona, WI) and Madelyn Pashibin (Jr.-Minneapolis, MN/Minneapolis Southwest) picked up where they left off the night prior, leading the Blugolds in kills. Coyne finished with 15 on 40 attacks, while Pashibin had 14 on 32 attacks.
Madison Surprise's (Jr.-Appleton, WI/Kimberly) 48 assists led the match, and Talia Jaskulske's (Sr.-Maplewood, MN/North St. Paul) 20 digs were a team-best.
In the team's final match of the regular season, there was no better test ahead of next week's Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament than facing the top-ranked team in the country, Wittenberg. Eau Claire proved to be up for the tough task, as they earned their second win over a top-ten team in as many days, this time besting the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.
The Blugolds were dominant in sets one and three, winning 25-15 and 25-16. Wittenberg answered with 25-20 and 26-24 victories in the second and fourth sets. Eau Claire took set five by a score of 15-12 to win the match three sets to two.
Pashibin put up 23 kills in the win, while Kendra Baierl (Fr.-Marshfield, WI/Columbus Catholic) had 15 of her own. Fifty-two more set assists for Surprise once again was a match-high. Four Blugolds recorded double-digits in digs with Jaskulske leading the way again with 27 this time.
The Blugolds now await the WIAC quarterfinal match on Tuesday night to see who they face on Thursday in the semifinals. They look to carry this massive momentum and four-match win streak into the conference tournament, hosting at 7:00 p.m. from the McPhee Center on Thursday.
Follow the action all season long on Blugold Game Day.