EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The No. 15 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball team remains undefeated in conference play after taking down UW-La Crosse 3-1 on Wednesday night to improve to 19-2 on the season.
The Blugolds may have needed four sets to get the win but they did so in dominating fashion in sets three and four (25-17, 22-25, 25-11, 25-16).
Eau Claire took game one after outhitting La Crosse .270 to .162 in set one but the tables turned in set two as the Eagles fought back to even the score at one set apiece.
The Blugolds responded with a strong third set that included a 6-0 run to lead 9-3 and a 15-5 run to end the set with Makenzie Bachmann (So. – Chaska, MN) leading Eau Claire with six kills.
In the fourth set, the Eagles started a comeback midway through by scoring four-straight points but the Blugolds came back with a 5-0 run of their own to widen their lead. An Arianna Barrett (Fr.-Lakeville, MN/North) kill would seal the win for the Blugolds. In the set, UWEC outhit the Eagles .333 to .062.
Madelyn Pashibin (Sr.- Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) and Barrett led the Blugolds with 12 kills each while Bachmann finished with 11.
Taylor Scalia (So. – Lake Elmo, MN/Stillwater) and Madison Surprise (Sr. - Appleton, WI/Kimberly) both recorded 18 digs while Amber Karn (Sr. – Middleton, WI) added 14. Surprise also tallied 42 assists on the night. Krista Meyer (So. – Germantown, WI) also had a game-high five block assists along with one solo block.
The Blugolds (19-2, 4-0 WIAC) will be back in McPhee Saturday night as they host UW-Stevens Point at 6 p.m. Follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app on your mobile device.