The UW-Whitewater volleyball team, ranked 23rd according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, fell to Coe College 3-2 (21-25, 33-31, 23-25, 25-21, 16-14) in Whitewater Friday evening in the Second Annual Dig Panici Classic. The event has become an annual celebration and benefit for former Warhawk Lisa Panici. The Dig Panici Classic will continue with six matches scheduled for Saturday. 

UW-Whitewater played in front of the biggest crowd of the season so far with 939 fans, the majority from other Warhawk athletic programs, packing Russell Arena cheer on UW-Whitewater and honor Lisa. 

"This is what we want this event to be like each year," said Coach Boudreau. "The crowd and atmosphere was amazing with so many student-athletes and fans coming out to cheer on our team and honor Lisa. Their show of support was amazing and is a great display of how important this event is not only to our team but for UW-Whitewater."

Bolstered by a phenomenal crowd and atmosphere, the Warhawks took a 19-13 lead in set one. Coe scored four of the next five points to pull to within 20-17 but UW-Whitewater held off the attack. Senior right side pounded down a kill for point 23, junior middle Alivia Holman (South Beloit, IL/Rockton Hononegah) made it 24-20 with a kill and sophomore outside Lauren Pfeifer (Fort Atkinson/Fort Atkinson) put the finishing touches on the set with her fourth kill of the set to seal the win 25-21. 

The Warhawks hit .265 in the first set pounding down 16 kills while holding the Kohawks to just 11 kills on an attack percentage of .125.

The second set was truly a battle of the hawks as the teams took the score into the thirties before a winner was determined. UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 4-1 lead and then extended the advantage to 10-5 when Coe called their first timeout of the set. The Kohawks slowly battled their way back to eventually knot the set 18-18. A back-and-forth battle ensued with the teams trading points. 

With the score 23-22 in favor of UW-Whitewater, the Warhawks used their final substitution of the set. Coe scored the next two to take the lead 24-23 and then UW-Whitewater flipped flopped them with the next two to regain a 25-24 advantage. Tied at 27-27, the Kohawks used their final substitution and both teams had to stick with the six on the floor. The 'Hawks, both of them, continued to trade points until Coe put together back-to-back points to take a 31-30 lead. Freshman middle blocker Courtney Wagner (Dekalb, IL/Dekalb) knotted the set at 31 with a kill but the Kohawks scored the next two take even the match 1-1.

Both teams' offenses were rolling in the set with the Warhawks pounded down 17 kills with just two errors hitting .349. The Kohawks hit .306 in the set with 24 kills.

UW-Whitewater came back from a 14-7 deficit in the third set to win set three 25-23. The Warhawks used a five point run late in the set to take a 23-21 lead. Feiertag provided the final two points of the set off kills. 

The offensive battle that was set two became a defensive fight in the third set. The Warhawks hit .133 with 12 kills and eight errors while the Kohawks hit just .081 with 11 kills and eight errors. 

The Warhawks took a 7-4 lead in set four and held the three point advantage at 12-9 and again at 15-12. Coe used a 9-1 run to regain the lead 20-16. The Warhawks didn't fold and battled back to within one, 21-22 but Coe registered the next three points to force a decisive fifth set.

UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the final set of the match and led 8-6 at the side-switch. The Kohawks scored the next three after the teams traded benches to take a 9-8. A kill from junior outside Jessica Sabey (Merrill/Merrill) and an ace off the serving hand of senior libero Kelsey Nobilio (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) put the Warhawks back in front 10-9. 

After a Kohawk timeout, Coe rattled off three in a row to force a UW-Whitewater timeout. Sabey came up big out of the timeout pounding down a kill to make it 11-12. Coe scored to push the lead to two but an error and a big block from junior middle Sydney Toon (Madison/Middleton) and Feiertag tied the score 13-13. 

The Kohawks took the lead 14-13 with a kill. Toon and Feiertag swayed the momentum back to UW-Whitewater with another towering block to make it 14-14 but the Kohawks scored the next two to take the set and the match. 

Three Warhawks hammered down 10 or more kills in the match led by Feiertag and Pfeifer with 16 each. The senior-sophomore duo combined for 11 assist blocks in the match. Sabey added 10 kills and Toon led all players with seven assist blocks in the contest.

Senior setter Kim Frei (West Bend/West Bend West) recorded 47 assists and Nobilio posted a match high 27 digs. Backcourt teammate Jaclyn Krizka (Roscoe, IL/Hononegah), a junior defensive specialist, added 12 digs. 

"We fought hard tonight," said Coach Boudreau. "We weren't as efficient as we needed to be but we are ready to work on some things and bounce back for our two matches tomorrow." 

The Warhawks will face Olivet Saturday at 10 a.m. before wrapping up the Dig Panici Classic against North Central at 2 p.m.