Box Score Eau Claire, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team fell 3-1 (25-17, 22-25, 25-11, 25-16) at 15th-ranked UW-Eau Claire Wednesday night in the McPhee Center. The Eagles drop to 12-9 overall and 2-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while the Blugolds improve to 19-2 overall and 4-0 in the conference. 

UW-Eau Claire, ranked 15th in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Poll, raced out to a 7-1 lead in the opening set Wednesday night. UWL cut the lead to 12-8 before UW-Eau Claire scored five of the next six points to lead 17-9.  The Blugolds hit .270 (13-3-37) in the set.

The Eagles took a 9-3 lead in the second set, but the Blugolds used a 9-3 run of their own to force a 12-12 tie. The set was tied, 18-18, when UWL scored the next five points, including a pair of kills from Emma Lawrence. UW-Eau Claire could get no closer than two points the rest of the set. UWL hit .312 (14-4-32) in the second set.

UW-Eau Claire scored nine of the first 10 points in the third set and UWL could get no closer than six points the rest of the set. 

UWL trailed, 4-3, in the fourth set when UW-Eau Claire used a five of the next six points to lead 9-4 after a Madelyn Pashibin kill. The Eagles trailed, 9-6, after an Abbey Fox ace and later trailed 18-14. The Blugolds then scored five consecutive points to lead 23-14.  UW-Eau Claire finished at .333 (15-3-36) in the set.

Lawrence led UWL with 15 kills while Marisa Johnson and Kathryn Maas each finished with seven. Fox had 32 assists as the Eagles hit .079 (38-27-140). Julia Van Fleet recorded 21 digs with Fox finishing with 15 and Johnson 10. 

Pashibin and Arianna Barrett led UW-Eau Claire with 12 kills each with Makenzie Bachmann finishing with 11. Madison Surprise finished with 42 assists as the Blugolds hit .262 (53-15-145). Surprise and Taylor Scalia each finished with 18 digs with Amber Karn having 14.

UWL returns to action Friday, October 12 hosting UW-Platteville at 7 p.m.