Fond du Lac, Wis.. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team split a pair of matches on day 2 of the Marian University (Wis.) Invite as they defeated Benedictine University (Ill.) but fell to Wheaton College (Ill.) on Saturday. 

THE BASICS 
Final Score:  UW-La Crosse 3, Benedictine University (Ill.) 1, Wheaton College (Ill.) 3, UW-La Crosse 1
Location: Sadoff Gymnasium, Fond du Lac, Wis. 
Records: UWL 3-1, Benedictine University (Ill.) 1-2, Wheaton College (Ill.) 2-0

UW-La Crosse 3, Benedictine University (Ill.) 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-22)

• Benedictine scored four of the first five points and took an early 8-4 lead before UWL took a 17-11 lead with a 13-3 run of their own. The Eagles of Benedictine would cut their deficit to 24-23 but a Grace Nommensen kill would seal the win the 25-23 win for UWL.
• The Eagles of Benedictine would again take an early lead (10-6) but UWL would respond with a 7-1 run to lead 13-11. Benedictine use a 4-0 run to take the lead back at 16-15 and later took a 22-21 lead. UWL would then score four of the final five points including the sealing kill from Paige Geiser. 
• UWL got off to a fast start in the third set as they scored the first eight points including two service aces by Megan Lund and two kills each by Kayla Sexton and Nommensen. Benedictine slowly chipped away at their deficit and pulled with in 12-10. The Eagles of UWL extended their lead back to eight (20-12) and Benedictine would not get closer than two (23-21) the rest of the way. 

FROM THE BOXSCORE

• Nommensen led UWL's offense with 13 kill while Sexton finished with eight. 
• Lund finished with 18 assists along with five service aces and five digs. 
• Defensively, Taylor Larson finished with a team high 13 digs. 

Wheaton College (Ill.) 3, UW-La Crosse 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-17, 25-22)

• The first set saw neither team took more than a three point lead over the first 18 points until the Thunder broke an 18-18 tie by going on a 7-3 to win 25-21.
• With the second set tied at 10, UWL took a 14-11 lead with a 4-1 run. Wheaton responded with a 9-3 run of their own to take a 20-17 lead. The Eagles scored seven of the final eight points to win the second set 25-23. 
• Wheaton took an early 5-0 lead in set three before UWL took a 7-6 lead. The two teams would trade points until the set was tied 15-15. The Thunder then scored eight straight to take a 22-15 lead. The Eagles would not recover as the Thunder won the third set 25-17.
• The Eagles broke a 9-9 tie in the fourth set with a 4-0 run to lead 13-9. A Thunder attack error would give UWL a 17-14 lead before Wheaton scored three straight to tie it at 17. After UWL tied it at 22, Wheaton scored the final three points to win the four set 25-22. 

FROM THE BOXSCORE

• Nommensen and Sexton once again led the Eagles offense as they finished with 11 and 8 kills, respectively. 
• Nommensen added 12 digs to record her first double-double of the season. 
• Lund finished with 21 assists while Kailyn Kurth add 15 assists.
• Larson joined Nommensen in double figures in digs as she recorded a team high 15 while Sexton and Lund each recorded nine. 

UP NEXT

• The Eagles will return to action on Friday, September 5 when they travel to Minneapolis, Minn. to play in the Augsburg University (Minn.) Invitational. UWL will play Augsburg at 2:30 p.m. followed by Lakeland University (Wis.) at 5:00 p.m.