Volleyball Splits First Day of UW-Platteville Tourney

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball opened the UW-Platteville Tournament by being defeated by Carroll University, 3-2, in a five-set thriller, and bounced back with a 3-0 sweep over Millikin in the nightcap on Friday night in Williams Fieldhouse. 

Errors doomed the Pioneers with 41 attack errors and 14 service errors during the five-set match, falling 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 18-25, 14-16. 

UW-Platteville managed to tie the match one set a piece even though posting 12 kills and 10 errors. The Pioneers finally found a their groove in the third-set but couldn't stop Carroll in the fourth as they recorded nine kills and only two errors. 

In the fifth-set, a block assist by Lidia Frias and Katie O'Malley gave UW-Plattevill a 12-9 lead. Carroll responded with three-straight points tying it up at 12-12. Down 14-13, UW-Platteville stayed alive on a big kill from Frias, but Carroll came back two win the next two points and secured the victory. 

Sophomore newcomer Jennifer Schmidt led UW-Platteville with 21 kills followed by junior LeeAnn Mizgalski's 13 kills. 

UW-Platteville played its most consistent match of the young 2013 season by recording double digit kills in all three sets and only 12 total errors against Millikin. 

In the first set, the Pioneers played from behind for nearly the entire set and took their second lead of the match, 24-23, on a Mizgalski ace. The very next point Schmidt put the game away for UW-Platteville. 

The Pioneers kept their momentum in the second-set winning the first six points and then ending the set on a 10-5 run. 

UW-Platteville took a 12-6 lead in the final set and never looked back by beating Millikin 25-19 to go 3-3 for the season.

Mizgalski recorded a match-high 12 kills followed by Schmidt with 11.

The Pioneers wrap up the UW-Platteville with a match against Grinnell at 10 a.m. then versus St. Norbert at 2 p.m. on Saturday.