La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team, receiving votes on this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll, earned a 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-19) victory over ninth-ranked UW-Whitewater Wednesday night in Mitchell Hall. The Eagles improve to 18-6 overall and 6-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while the Warhawks drop to 20-5 overall and 5-1 in the WIAC. 

With the win, UWL clinches at least a share of the WIAC regular-season title. It is UWL's third straight conference championship and 12th in school history (1972, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 2003, 2015, 2016, 2017). The Eagles have won three consecutive league titles for the first time since 1984-86. 

UWL, under first-year head coach Amber Dunn, can win this year's WIAC title outright with a victory over UW-Stevens Point October 28 in Mitchell Hall.  UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire are both 5-1 in conference play and can earn a share of the championship with a victory in its match October 27 in Whitewater, coupled with a loss by UWL. 

UWL also secured the top-seed for the WIAC Championship (Presented by Culver's) which begins with first round contests Tuesday, October 31. The Eagles will host a semifinal match of the six-team event Thursday, November 2 against the winner of the fifth/fourth-seed matchup.  The championship match will be hosted Saturday, November 4 by the highest remaining seed after the semifinals with the championship winner earning an automatic bid into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship.  

The Eagles raced out to a 15-4 lead in Wednesday's opening set, but the Warhawks responded with a 18-6 run to lead 22-21 on a Elizabeth Niestrom kill. UW-Whitewater led 23-22, but a Warhawks' service error tied the set. UW-Whitewater then had a pair of hitting errors as UWL secured the win. 

UWL never trailed in the second set, opening with a 9-2 lead. The Warhawks cut the lead to 12-8, but back-to-back kills from the Eagles' Laine Hoeffel and Marisa Johnson and a UW-Whitewater hitting error gave UWL a 15-8 advantage. The Warhawks could get no closer than three points the rest of the set. 

UW-Whitewater led 12-9 in the third set before UWL scored five of the next six points to lead 14-13. The Warhawks took a 19-18 lead, but the Eagles scored the final seven points to earn the victory.  Halle Barnabo served the final six points as UW-Whitewater had three hitting errors.

Stephanie Henk led UWL with 10 kills while Johnson finished with seven and Kathryn Maas six. Madison Entinger recorded 29 assists as the Eagles hit .146 (37-17-137).  Barnabo led UWL with 17 digs while Entinger finished with 13, Paige Schmidt 12 and Henk 11. 

The Eagles had 10.0 team blocks with Jessica Jablonski recording one block solo and five block assists. 

Courtney Wagner and Amanda Spera led UW-Whitewater with eight kills each while Racky finished with six. Niestrom recorded 23 assists as the Warhawks hit .062 (31-23-130).  Brittany Robinson had a team-high 20 digs. 

UW-Whitewater finished with 7.0 team blocks as Ashton Doll recorded four block assists.

UWL returns to action Saturday, October 28 hosting UW-Stevens Point at 2 p.m. on Senior Day.