LA CROSSE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team (5-5, 1-0 WIAC) opened conference play on Wednesday night with a five-set win over UW-La Crosse (10-5, 0-1 WIAC) inside Mitchell Hall in La Crosse.
An early six-point run helped the Eagles take control in the opening set, and the hosts led by as many as eight to later win 25-19. The Pioneers jumped out to a quick advantage in set two, but UW-La Crosse cut into the deficit to tie it at 13 apiece. A pair of kills by sophomore
Brooklyn Radecke put UW-Platteville back in front, and the Pioneers led for the rest of the set to even the match with a 25-23 victory.
The third set was tightly contested, with neither team leading by more than three points until a four-point Eagles run put them up 24-20. Senior
Kierney McDonald and Radecke led a comeback with five combined kills as the Pioneers closed the set on a 7-1 run to win 27-25.
UW-La Crosse forced a fifth set after holding off a late UW-Platteville rally to take set four 25-20. The Pioneers took command early in the fifth set with leads of 10-4 and 14-10, but the Eagles battled back to tie it at 14. An attack error and a kill by junior
Kennedy Wenger allowed the Pioneers to put the match away with a 16-14 win.
UW-Platteville matched a season-high with 64 kills while posting a .142 hitting percentage. Four players reached double-digit kills, with Radecke's 17 pacing the team. McDonald (15), Wenger (14), and junior
Bria Johnston (11) joined her in double figures.
Senior
Gracie Gibbens had a match-high 30 assists while adding 10 digs. Johnston had a team-high 19 digs, while senior
Kelsey Ewert (17) and Radecke (14) also reached double-digit digs.
The Pioneers will be off until next Tuesday, when they host Beloit at 7 p.m. for the 2025 home opener.
*As with every UW-Platteville win this year, the Platteville A&W will be offering a free ice cream cone (with purchase) the day after the win and the Platteville Taco John's will be offering a free churro (with purchase) the day after each Pioneer win.
