Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Chicago, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on day two of the University of Chicago Invitational. The Eagles fell 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-22) to Aurora University (Ill.) and 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-22) to Whitworth University (Wash.).

UWL, receiving votes on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Top-25 Poll, is now 0-4 while Aurora is 1-2 overall and Whitworth is 3-1 on the season. Both Aurora and Whitworth are also receiving votes on the AVCA Preseason Top-25 poll. 

In the match vs. Aurora, set one was tied 6-6 before the Spartans went on a 7-1 run to take a 13-7 lead. UWL would cut their deficit to 15-11 but would not get any closer the rest of first set. 

Aurora jumped out to a 9-3 lead early in the second set before the Eagles scored six of the next eight points to trail 11-9. The Eagles would tie the score at 14-14; however, the Spartans would score five of the next six points to take a 19-15 lead. UWL would not get closer than three (22-19) as they dropped set two 25-20.

The Eagles would score the first two points of set two before the Spartans took a 7-3 lead. After the Eagles cut their deficit to 9-7, the Spartans scored six of next eight points to take a 15-7 lead. The Eagles would not go away quietly as they cut their deficit to 17-16. UWL would then tie the score at 20-20 on back-to-back kills by Gabrialla Johnson. Aurora then scored three straight (23-20) before UWL cut the deficit to 23-22. But that would be as close as the Eagles would get as the Spartans recorded a kill and forced an attacking error to win set three 25-22.

As a team, the Eagles hit .126 (33-21-95) for the match with Brianne Korducki finishing with a team high nine kills. Johnson finished with seven kills and Justine Bastyr had six. Megan Adams led the Eagles with 15 assists while Korducki had a team high eight digs. 

The Spartans hit .227 (35-13-97) and were led by Kaycie Wenzel with ten kills. Kaitlyn Beebe had a team high 21 assists for Aurora while Wenzel led the Spartans with ten digs. 

In set one of match two, UWL took a 5-2 lead on two kills from Kaity Coisman and one from Korducki and Anna Rossner. Whitworth tied the game at 6-6 and both teams would trade points with neither team taking a lead of more than three points (17-14). After a Rossner and Bastyr assisted block for UWL tied the game at 17, Whitworth scored eight of the final ten points to win set one 25-19. 

Whitworth scored the first three points of the second set before UWL was able to tie the game at 8-8. The Pirates then scored ten of the next 12 points to take an 18-10 lead. Ella Jimenez sparked the run for Whitworth with three service aces. UWL would not get any closer than six (21-15) the rest of the set as Whitworth won the second set 25-16. 

Johnson recorded two kills in the first three points of set three as UWL took a 5-2 lead. The Pirates tied the game at 5-5 before UWL responded with a 6-2 run to take a 11-7 lead. Whitworth then tied the game at 14 before UWL took the lead back at 17-14. With the score tied at 20-20, the Pirates scored five of the final seven points to win set three 25-22. 

UWL finished the second match hitting .158 (36-20-101) with Johnson leading the Eagles with 10 kills. Korducki led Eagles with 11 digs while adding eight kills. Jackie Oetterer finished with a team high 17 assists while Adams had 11 assists and 8 digs. 

The Pirates hit .226 (34-13-93) for the match and were led by Maddie Lee with 10 kills. Joelle Forbes finished with 16 assists while Eva Millan had 11 digs. 

The Eagles will return to action Friday, September 9th when they travel to Minneapolis, Minn. to play in the Augsburg University (Minn.) Invitational. UWL will play Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) in the first match of the weekend at 5:00 p.m.