Volleyball ends up 1-3 at Carthage Invite

KENOSHA, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team fell to Dominican (Ill.), 3-0, and tp 20^th-ranked Carthage, 3-1, in the final day of the Carthage Invitational on Saturday.

The Pioneers fall to 5-7 on the season and were 1-3 during their weekend atthe Carthage Invitational.

Dominican set back the Pioneers, 25-16, 25-9, 29-27. The Stars led 11-9 in the first-set then went on a 12-2 run before beating UW-Platteville 25-16. Dominican kept its momentum going in the second-set jumping out to a commanding 15-2 lead then took a 2-0 set lead, 25-9. In the third-set, the Pioneers fell behind again but managed to tie the game up at 21 all. The Stars regained the lead the very next point and then scored two consecutive winning 29-27, sweeping the Pioneers.

Junior LeeAnn Mizgalski led the Pioneer offensive attack with 11 kills followed by senior Stephanie Kirchner with eight. Freshman Lindsey Decker led the defense with 15 digs.

After being down two sets to host 20^th-ranked Carthage, the Pioneers finally managed to tie the set up at 13-13 after being down 5-1. UW-Platteville then scored four unanswered taking 17-14 lead and never looked back winning the 25-23. In the fourth-set, the Pioneers took a 19-18 lead on a kill by Ashley LoMonaco and then were a point away, 24-23, from tying the match up at two sets apiece after at Carthage attack error. The Lady Reds showed why they are ranked 20^th in the country tallying three straight kills beating the Pioneers 26-24.

Sophomore Jennifer Schmidt, Mizaglski and Kirchner totaled 42 of the Pioneers 50 kills. Schmidt led with 15 followed by Mizgalski's 14 and Kirchner's 13 kills. Decker recorded a career-high 23 digs while Katie O'Malley tallied 43 assists.

The Pioneers will take a week off from tournament action and open the conference slate with a trip to UW-Oshkosh on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.