Pioneer Volleyball splits on final day of St. Benedict Tourney

UW-Platteville volleyball team managed to split its pair of games on the last day of the St. Benedict Labor Day Tournament. The Pioneers were setback by third-ranked UW-Stevens Point, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-15) and then wrapped up their day with a sweep of Concordia-Morehead, 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 27-25).

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Pioneer Volleyball splits on final day of St. Benedict Tourney
August 30, 2014

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team managed to split its pair of games on the last day of the St. Benedict Labor Day Tournament. The Pioneers were setback by third-ranked UW-Stevens Point, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-15) and then wrapped up their day with a sweep of Concordia-Morehead, 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 27-25). 

Junior Jennifer Schmidt and freshman Allison Jensen led the Pioneers with eight kills against the Pointers, while Lidia Frias tallied six kills. Frias and Schmidt each recorded four block assists for a game-high. 

Schmidt tallied the game's first kill, giving the Pioneers their only lead of the first set. UWSP used a 11-3 run to go up 21-10 before clinching the 25-13 set victory. 

UW-Platteville jumped out to an early 8-1 lead in the second set, but the experienced Pointers battled back and took a 17-16 lead. UWSP held off any potential Pioneer runs and managed to take the second set 25-23. 

UWSP used a pair of 4-0 runs in the third set to complete the sweep 25-15. 

Schmidt and Jensen once again led the team in kills with 11 each in the sweep of the Concordia-Morehead.  SeniorLeeAnn Mizgalski almost recorded a double-double, as she totaled 10 digs and seven kills. 

The Pioneers and the Cobbers were all knotted up at 15-15 in the first set, and UW-Platteville then broke the set open with a 7-1 run, taking a commanding 22-16 lead. The Pioneers cruised to take the first set 25-20. 

The second set went back-and-forth with neither team getting a lead larger than three points. The Pioneers managed to get ahead 25-24 and then Jensen drilled the set-winning kill, giving UW-Platteville a two set lead. 

The Pioneers took a quick 8-2 lead to open the third set, but the Cobbers used a pair of 5-0 runs to take a 14-12 lead. A big kill by junior Lauren Grady put the Pioneers back on top, 17-16. The set then was all knotted up at 25-25, when Jensen delivered her 11th kill of the game and then recorded her first career collegiate ace for the game-winning point, 27-25.

UW-Platteville will spend next weekend in Dubuque, Iowa at the Loras College Tournment. The Pioneers play Wartburg on Friday at 3 p.m. then Loras at 7 p.m.