Volleyball team digs deep, but comes up short to UW-Superior

Nicole Witt, Staff Reporter

Players and over 300 fans alike gathered in pink to support the Women’s Volleyball team and Breast Cancer Awareness on Friday, Oct. 11, in Mitchell Hall. The Eagles played a WIAC conference game against UW – Superior. There were fundraisers, including a 50/50 raffle and donation collection between sets to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness.
The Eagles entered the game with a record of 8-11. The game lasted 5 hard fought matches, but the Eagles were stung by the Yellowjackets going 2-3 (20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 11-15). This was another loss, leaving them 1-2 in the WIAC conference.
La Crosse got the game going with the opening serve. They played strong defensively. Halfway through the first set, both teams began to get extremely heated. Each side played strong offensively and defensively, whether they were setting up for an attack or defending their side and returning it. After the strong rallying for both teams, UW-S ended up taking the win for the set.
The second set opened with the Yellowjackets playing hard, but the Eagles were not discouraged by this. They came back to show how resilient they were. The score was kept close throughout the set, but they Eagles took it away 25-23. The following set also went to UW-La Crosse, with more leeway in scoring 25-19.
Even though the Eagles had a scoring run, the Yellowjackets were not ready to quit. They played the fourth set very defensively. They bounced back from two lost sets to win this one. Entering the fourth set, each team was 2-2 and it was a toss-up of who would win. The intensity was rising, but the Eagles lost their footing and fell to the Yellowjackets.
These games are never easy. The women are always put to the challenge, as they find the teams they are playing are nationally ranked.
Head coach Lillian Hallock stated, “The WIAC is an incredibly challenging conference.  Already this season three of the teams have been ranked in the top 25 (Oshkosh, Stevens Point and Whitewater).  On any given day any team can win.”
The team was led offensively by junior Leah Putzier, with 20 kills. Other leading offensive players include freshman Stephanie Henk (15), junior Sydney Bump (11) and sophomore Jill Entinger (10).
Defensively, the Eagles topped the Yellowjackets. UW-L had 65 digs as opposed to UW-S’s 58. But when it came to team blocks, the Yellowjackets just edged out the Eagles with 12 to UW-L’s 10. Putzier had 2 solo blocks.
Hallock is aware of what needs improvement for the rest of the season. “We will continue to work on the fundamental skills (serving, passing, hitting, etc.) while also moving on to more complex offense and defensive schemes.”
As the season progresses, the Eagles face a few more WIAC opponents. On Saturday, Oct. 11, they played UW-Stevens Point for another conference loss. The next game will be played against UW-Oshkosh on Oct. 15, in Oshkosh.