MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Sophomore Catherine Moore had a match- and season-high 13 kills for the St. Olaf College volleyball team in a 25-18, 25-21, 20-25, 25-23 loss to No. 13 UW-Eau Claire on Friday afternoon at the Augsburg Invitational at Si Melby Hall.

Moore had 13 kills on 28 swings while hitting .250 on the outside for St. Olaf (1-3), which became just the third team this season to win a set off nationally-ranked UW-Eau Claire (8-0). After sweeping No. 22 Augsburg later in the day, the Blugolds have lost just three of the 27 sets they have played this fall.

Junior Christina Cheng joined Moore in double figures in kills with 10 of her own to go with nine digs. Junior Selena Rodriguez tallied a team-high 18 digs, while sophomore Kylie Reardon had a career-high 15. Senior Brynne Gray recorded a double-double of 24 assists and 12 digs.

St. Olaf limited UW-Eau Claire to a .182 attack percentage in the match but could not overcome the Blugolds' 14-3 advantage in blocks. Abby Volk led a balanced offensive attack for UW-Eau Claire with 10 kills on 19 swings.

The Blugolds led by just one, 17-16, in the opening set before rattling off four-straight points to go prompt a timeout by the Oles. After a kill by sophomore Nora Zielke ended the run, UW-Eau Claire won the next three points to go ahead by seven and, two points later, won the set, 25-18.

St. Olaf fell behind 6-0 to start the second set but hung around to cut the deficit to two on four occasions. Leading 17-15, UW-Eau Claire won three points in a row to open up a five-point cushion and led by at least three the rest of the set.

Cheng and Moore had two kills apiece in an 8-3 start to the third set for the Oles, but the Blugolds quickly cut their deficit to one with a 4-0 run. Still clinging to a one-point lead at 19-18, St. Olaf won six of the final eight points of the set, including two kills by first year Madison Gully, to snatch the set and send the match to a fourth set.

The Oles recorded 20 kills out of the 23 points they won in the fourth set, but the Blugolds closed out the match in four with a 25-23 set win thanks to committing just one attack error in the set. The score was tied eight times in the final set before UW-Eau Claire won three consecutive points to break an 18-18 deadlock.

St. Olaf fought back to get even at 23-23 on three-straight kills by Moore, Cheng, and junior Nicole Banitt, but a block and an attack error gave UW-Eau Claire its seventh consecutive win to start the season.

The Oles close out the tournament by facing Wartburg (11:45 a.m.) and Dubuque (4:15 p.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Si Melby Hall.