On Thursday November 13 the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles Volleyball season came to a close with an unfortunate loss to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the WIAC (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) Tournament Semifinals, more information about that game can be read here.
Despite the final loss, the Eagles had a great season, ending with a 21-12 record, winning eight home games and only two home losses. Grace Nommensen, a third-year and outside hitter for the team, was asked how she felt the season went. Nommensen stated, “I could not be happier with how our season went. Not only did we crush our record from last year, but we made it into the WIAC tournament.”
When asked about any challenging aspects the season gave them, Nommensen said, “Starting conference play against the top teams tested us right away. We came in with the goal of earning a conference win, but we couldn’t make it happen in those opening games.”
The team had a collective of 1,385 kills for the season followed by 226 aces on a serve. Additionally, the Eagles had a striking 2,007 digs for the season.
The Eagles had four leaders over the season in; kills, digs, assists, blocks, and service aces. Kayla Sexton, a third-year, led the team in kills racking up 318 for the season. Taylor Larson, a fourth-year, led the team in digs for her final season with an impressive 544 digs. Megan Lund, a second-year on the team, was the top player in both assists (608) and service aces (47). Finally, Maddy Wilson was the leader in blocks on the team with an impression 98.0
The Eagles held their Alumni/Senior night on October 10, where they played against the University of Dubuque. The Eagles came out on top in a 3-2 win. Sexton, an outside hitter for the team, was asked to provide some personal insight into their season. Sexton stated,
“My favorite highlight would be beating Dubuque on Senior night! It was such a fun game and there was such high energy in the gym!” More about their amazing senior night performance can be read about here.
Teamwork is a large factor in not only the sport but the way they played together. When asked how Sexton would describe her team, she replied, “I would describe us as a family. We really have a lot of fun together both on and off the court and enjoy being together.” Sexton continued by saying, “I think the most important thing is that we play for each other and want to win for each other.” Having that strong sense of family contributed to their success on the court.
Nommensen was asked the same question and gave a meaningful response in addition to Sexton’s, “My teammates are truly my best friends, and I think our culture was the main reason for our success this season.”
