The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Volleyball Team hosted the UWL Invitational Tournament on Sept. 20-21. The Eagles played four matches over the course of the tournament and claimed victory in two, earning a .500 win percentage for the weekend.
The Eagles began tournament play with a 3-1 loss against College of St. Scholastica (Minn.). The Eagles won the first set 25-22 and narrowly lost the second set 23-25. The Eagles dropped the third and fourth sets 16-25 and 17-25 respectively. The Eagles were led in the series by Gabby Johnson with 16 kills and Jackie Oetterer with 26 assists. The box score and final statistics for the game can be found on the St. Scholastica website.
The Eagles’ second match of the tournament against Monmouth (Il.), began with a 25-19 win. The Eagles traded blows with the Scots 14-25, 25-22 and 23-25. The Scots and the Eagles were tied after four sets, forcing a fifth. The Eagles took the fifth set all the way to the last possession, winning 16-14. Megan Jasperson had 19 digs and Grace Nommensen had 25 assists for the Eagles. The box score and final statistics for the game can be found on the UWL Athletics website.
For the Eagles, Saturday’s matches began at 9 a.m. against Central College (Iowa). The Eagles struggled to overcome Central College and lost all three sets, 24-26, 17-25 and 22-25. For the Eagles, Taylor Larson had 15 digs and Johnson had 11 kills. The box score and final statistics for the game can be found on the UWL Athletics website.
The fourth and final match of the Eagles’ run of the UWL Invitational resulted in a win over Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.). While keeping each game close with an average win margin of only 3.33 points, the Eagles had an upper hand thanks to Johnson with 14 kills and Oetterer with 17 assists. The box score and final statistics for the game can be found on the UWL Athletics website.
The Eagles also began competing against their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) opponents on Wednesday. The Eagles faced UW-River Falls and lost 1-3, only taking the third set against the Falcons.
Head Coach Deb Sazama commented on the dedication and resilience shown by the Eagles so far through the season and this past weekend. “Every time we play we just want to get better, it [winning] hasn’t always been there for us but they’re getting better and that’s what matters,” she said.
Third-year DS/L Ella Luoma reciprocated Sazama’s vision, “We had two big wins and two tough losses this weekend, but the team looks good and we’re ready to keep putting in hard work,” said Luoma.
The Eagles look to improve in the Edgewood College Triangular against Loras College (Iowa) and Edgewood College (Wis.) on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2 and 4 p.m. The Eagles host their next home match against another Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference WIAC opponent, UW-Stevens Point in Mitchell Hall on Friday, Oct. 9 at p.m.
The team also hosts Alumni and Parent Night on Oct. 4, Camper/Youth Night on Oct. 30, and Senior Night on Nov. 8. More information including the UWL Volleyball team schedule, roster, and coaching staff can be found on the UWL Athletics website.
