Pioneers Fall to UW-Whitewater

he University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team dropped a 25-18, 31-29, 25-21 match to host UW-Whitewater on Tuesday night in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

The Pioneers, who are ranked No. 24 in the latest AVCA poll, fall to 17-9 overall and 3-2 in the WIAC. The Warhawks, who are ranked No. 23 in the same poll, improve to 16-5 overall and 4-1 in the WIAC.

UW-Platteville junior Samantha Rampart (pictured below) led the attack for the Pioneers with 14 kills and a .609 hitting percentage.

UW-Whitewater out hit the Pioneers by a .261 to .178 margin and had eight service aces in the win. Leanna Lillge led three Warhawks with double-digit kills with 14; plus Sofia Sanchez had a double double with 16 digs and 11 kills.

In the opening set, a 4-0 spurt by the Warhawks put the home team up by a 16-12 margin. It would prove to be a lead that UW-Whitewater would not relinquish. Lillge would have five of her 14 kills in the set.

The second set was the highest scoring set of the season for the Pioneers and it was not decided until the final two points. UW-Platteville rallied from an early 11-2 deficit to tie the set and eventually take a 21-19 lead. In the comeback, Rampart had three kills and they took advantage of eight attack errors by UW-Whitewater. The momentum and the lead in the set went back and forth for the remainder of the set. With the set tied at 29, Sanchez and Lillge each recorded a kill to put UW-Whitewater ahead two sets.

In the third set, the Pioneers rallied again from an early deficit and managed to get as close as 17-16. In the comeback effort, UW-Platteville went back to Rampart, who hammered down five more kills and Emily Kaiser added two more. However, the comeback effort fell short as the Warhawks took the set by a 25-21 margin and the match.

The Pioneers are back in action on Thursday when they host Ashford University at 7 p.m. for Yell Night as UW-Platteville will try to break its attendance record of 1,243.