UW-Eau Claire 3, UW-Stout 2
MENOMONIE (October 24, 2018) - UW-Stout had UW-Eau Claire down 2-0, but the 13th-ranked Blugolds climbed the ladder all the way back to hand the Blue Devils a 3-2 loss in WIAC volleyball play Wednesday at Johnson Fieldhouse.
The Blue Devils (15-12, 3-3 WIAC) captured the first two sets, 26-24, 25-22, but Blugolds (26-2, 6-0 WIAC) bounded back win the final three and the match, 25-18, 25-20, 15-11.
In the first set, the Blugolds had a five point, 15-10, lead when Stout began to make their move. In an 8-2 run,
Kennedy Strain had three kills and
Lexie Nelson,
Kara Simonson and
Jessica DuVal each recorded a kill and Stout led, 18-17, their first lead of the match. The Blugolds took a 24-21 lead, but kills by Nelson and Simonson and three straight attack errors, including a block by Strain and Nelson, gave Stout the first set win.
in the second, Stout jumped out to a 14-7 lead and then had to fend off the Blugolds. Leading 23-17, the Blue Devils allowed three Eau Claire kills to pull to within 24-22, but a block by Hoff and Simonson gave Stout a two set lead.
Behind seven kills by Arianna Barrett in the third set, the Blugold took command and built up a seven point lead and never trailed in the set. Stout took an early lead in the fourth set, but once Eau Claire siezed the lead, they never let it slip away.
In the final set, Stout took the first point, then held a 5-4 lead on a kill by Strain, but Eau Claire tied the game, then took the lead and never gave it back.
The Blugolds' Barrett led all scorers with 22 kills. Madelyn Pashibin added 17 kills. Each had four block assists. Krista Meyer had a match-high seven block assists.
Amber Ripley matched a season-best by putting down 20 kills. Strain had three kills and each had four block assists. Nelson finished the night with nine kills.
McKylie Hoff had eight kills and a team-high five block assists.
The Blugolds finished the night with one solo block and 20 block assists. Stout tallied 16 block assists.
The Blue Devils will wrap up regular season play by hosting UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. Stout will play in the WIAC quarterfinals, Tuesday, Oct. 30 as all six teams have been decided. The Blue Devils could finish anywhere from the third seed to the sixth seed. The third and fourth seed will host the first round.
