By Tommy McGowan, UWEC Sports Information
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - The No. 13 University of Wisconsin Eau Claire volleyball team dropped their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener Wednesday night against No. 14 UW-Whitewater, 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-20).
After dropping the first two sets of the night, the Blugolds struck first in the third before eventually dropping the set, 25-20. Eau Claire had 13 kills in the final set, led by Arianna Barrett (So.-Lakeville, MN/North) and Kendra Baierl (Jr.-Marshfield, WI/Columbus Catholic).
For the match, Barrett recorded 13 total kills, while adding two assists. Baierl had seven kills herself on the night and hit .468. Abbey Pederson (So.-Canby, MN) and Leah Witzel (Jr.-Woodbury, MN/East Ridge) were also instrumental in keeping Eau Claire in the match, as the duo combined for 23 assists in total.
The loss dropped the Blugolds to 6-5 overall on the season and now 0-1 in WIAC play. They will once again go on the road this Friday, September 20th, against Cornell College (Iowa). It is a great opportunity to gain valuable momentum before the Mabel Lee Tournament on Saturday.
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