DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College women's volleyball team battled UW-Platteville through five sets Tuesday night inside the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center, but the Pioneers pulled away in the decisive frame to hand the Duhawks a 3-2 loss.
The Duhawks found themselves trailing 18-14 late in the opening set before putting together one of their best stretches of the night. A pair of kills from
Cat Meyer helped spark a 7-0 Loras run, while
McKenna Carroll added a kill and back-to-back service aces to turn the four-point deficit into a 21-18 advantage. After UW-Platteville battled back to even the score at 21, Meyer and
Kyra Kuehn each recorded kills as Loras scored the final four points to take the opener, 25-21.
Loras carried the momentum into the second set and built a 19-15 advantage following an
Isabel Hart service ace and a Pioneer attack error. UW-Platteville responded with six consecutive points to move in front 21-19. Meyer stopped the run with a kill, but the Pioneers scored four of the final five points to even the match with a 25-21 victory.
The third set featured another tight battle. Loras used a 7-2 stretch midway through the frame to turn a 12-11 deficit into a 19-14 lead, with Meyer, Kuehn and
Alyssa Purvis all contributing during the run. The Duhawks still held a 22-20 advantage after an
Alyssa Daughenbaugh service ace, but UW-Platteville answered with four straight points to reach set point.
Cydney Tath kept Loras alive with a kill before Lauren Abbott closed out the set for the Pioneers, 25-23.
Needing the fourth set to extend the match, Loras answered. The two sides traded points throughout the frame before the Duhawks created some separation late. Carroll delivered a service ace before combining with Purvis and Meyer during a stretch that gave Loras a 17-14 advantage. UW-Platteville eventually pulled even at 21, but Tath put the Duhawks back in front with a kill. Loras reached set point at 24-21 and held off a late Pioneer push to take the frame 25-23 and force a fifth set.
UW-Platteville took control early in the deciding set. After the teams traded the opening two points, the Pioneers went on a 10-0 run to build an 11-1 advantage. Loras received late kills from Tath and Kuehn, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as UW-Platteville finished the match with a 15-4 fifth-set victory.
Meyer led the Loras attack with 17 kills while hitting .234 and added 18 digs for a double-double. Kuehn and Tath each finished with 13 kills, while Carroll added 10 kills on a .348 hitting percentage to go along with three service aces. Hart directed the offense with 51 assists and added nine digs, while Daughenbaugh finished with eight digs and two aces. Purvis led the Duhawks at the net with four total blocks.
Loras finished the night with 60 kills, 74 digs and seven service aces while hitting .189 as a team. UW-Platteville recorded 66 kills and hit .226, while also holding a 10-5 advantage in total blocks.
Up Next: The Duhawks are back in action on Friday, Oct. 2 to take on Beloit College. First serve from Lillis Court is set for 7 p.m.
