PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Over a thousand fans packed Williams Fieldhouse Wednesday as the University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team (14-4) defeated Carroll University (11-8) in five sets on Yell Night.
After a slow start to the match, UW-Platteville bounced back from a 25-15 loss in the first set to a decisive 25-16 win in the second. Momentum started when sophomore
Delali Amankwa opened the set with three-straight service aces. Soon after, a seven-point run, including a pair of kills from junior
Brooklyn Radecke, put the UW-Platteville ahead 11-2. The set then closed out with a 7-1 run featuring four more kills from Radecke.
UW-Platteville kept the energy on its side during the third set as the team strolled out to a 20-7 advantage thanks to the offensive attack led primarily by senior
Kennedy Wenger and senior
Bria Johnston. The two accounted for six kills, one block, and three aces as the Pioneers ran away to a 13-point lead. Carroll responded with a couple of small runs, but the home Pioneers took a 2-1 sets lead with a 25-15 win.
Platteville led for much of the fourth set and took a 23-21 edge off another kill from Johnston, but the visiting Pioneers responded with back-to-back kills to tie the match 23-23. Another kill from Johnston gave advantage to Platteville, but three-straight points for Carroll forced the fifth set.
The rally by Carroll was short-lived though and UW-Platteville rushed out of the gates to a 10-5 lead. Johnston, Radecke, and junior
Abby Bauer each tallied multiple kills in the final set as the Pioneers won 15-11.
For the fourth time this season, UW-Platteville dished up 10 aces in a match with Amankwa totaling four on the night. The home Pioneers held a 55-43 advantage in kills against the visitors while hitting .172 compared to Carroll's .203.
Johnston had a match-high 18 kills behind .316 hitting. Junior
Kennedey Barber totaled a night-best 17 digs and Amankwa had a match-best 26 assists.
Next up, the Pioneers will travel to UW-Stout Polytechnic for a WIAC match on Saturday at 3 p.m.
