A packed crowd was not enough to give the UW-Platteville women’s volleyball team a victory on Oct. 3.

A fleet of 1,105 people came to see UW-P take on UW-La Crosse for the annual “Yell Contest,” a match that saw the Eagles take three out of four games.

The Pioneers took the first game 30-26, but then fell in three straight games: 33-31, 30-21 and 30-27.

Sophomore middle hitter Lisa Bell scored a match high 21 kills, while junior outside hitter Rachel Chapman had 18 kills and 22 digs.

Platteville had 89 digs as a team, with freshman outside hitter Emily Walker leading the way with 24.

The Eagles were led by freshman Melannie Tate, who registered 21 digs, while junior Amber Schoonover contributed with 19 digs and 14 kills.

La Crosse had 10 blocks as a team, compared to Platteville’s seven and a half.

“The team is steadily improving; they’re improving the consistency of their play,” assistant coach Loren Finn said. “We were up and down to begin with, but now we’re leveling it out.”

In previous years, Platteville’s annual Homecoming “Yell Contest” has drawn large crowds with over 1,000 people in attendance, making Williams Fieldhouse rumble with cheering Pioneer fans.
According to the Office of Sports Information, this year’s crowd was the fourth largest in Williams Fieldhouse history and the second largest in NCAA Division III this season.

“I think it says a lot about our student body; it’s nice to have the Yell Contest coupled with an athletic event,” Athletic Director Mark Molesworth said. “It’s become a traditional thing. It’s a lot of fun. We enjoy doing it.”
“We love the atmosphere, we love the band,” Finn said. “Having the band there makes the girls more pumped up.”

The Pioneers were able to bounce back from their loss this past weekend, defeating UW-River Falls on Oct. 5, 3-0, with scores of 30-20, 30-24, 30-22.

Platteville also defeated UW-Stout on Oct. 6, 3-0, with scores of 30-20, 30-18, 30-17.

Platteville’s final home stand of the season will be 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12 against the Kohawks of Coe College.