ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst College volleyball team up short in a pair of four-set losses to the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, both AVCA Top-25 teams.
 
CHICAGO 3, ELMHURST  1 – Elmhurst (8-13) dropped a four-set contest with third-ranked University of Chicago 17-25, 28-26, 18-25, 12-25.
 
Chicago (18-1) raced out to an 11-1 in the opening set before coasting to the 25-17 win. The Maroons built an early 17-9 lead in the second before Elmhurst roared back. The Bluejays cut the deficit down to three at 20-17, before using a 7-2 run to open up a 24-22 lead. The Maroons fought off two set points and established a set point of their own with a 3-0 run to go in front 25-24. A kill from Alexandra Tyggum pulled Elmhurst even at 25-25. Chicago held off a third set point at Elmhurst to knot the score at 26-all, but a Chicago error and a kill from Ellie Burzlaff gave the Bluejays the second set at 28-26.
 
The third set was back-and-forth with the score even at 16-16. Chicago surged in front at 18-17 and then finished the set with a 7-1 run to take a two sets to one advantage.
 
The Maroons controlled the pace in the fourth set, building an early 10-3 lead and never looking back before closing out the set at 25-12.
 
Elmhurst hit .095 for the contest, finishing with 48 kills and 29 errors in 199 swings. Burzlaff, Kayla Mast and Emily Duis totaled nine kills apiece to pace Elmhurst. Payton Froats added eight kills for the Bluejays while Tyggum finished with five. Valerie Thomas led the team in digs with 32 while Taylor Zurliene finished with 19. Emily Finkbeiner added 23 assists and 12 digs while Sabrina Yamashita tallied 18 assists and 14 digs.
 
Anne Marie Stifter powered the Maroons with 18 kills and 10 digs. Freddie Paulson added 14 kills and 21 digs while Katherine Wilson tallied a team-leading 27 digs. Emma Griffith finished with 47 assists and 22 digs for the Maroons.
 
UW-EAU CLAIRE 3, ELMHURST 1 – The Bluejays came up short in a tightly-contested 26-28, 20-25, 25-23, 19-25 loss to 22nd-ranked UW-Eau Claire.
 
The first set was a back-and-forth affair with the score tied at 18-18 UW-Eau Claire opened up a 24-21 advantage, but the Bluejays fought off three straight set points to pull even at 24-24. Elmhurst fought off set points again at 24-25 and 25-26 before the Blugolds finished the set at 28-26.
 
The second set started just like the first as the two teams traded points and UW-Eau Claire held a slim 18-17 lead. The Blugolds managed to close the set on a 7-2 run to go up two sets to none. Elmhurst took control early in the third, racing out to an 18-10 lead and leading again at 20-13 before UW-Eau Claire mounted a rally. The Blugolds pulled to within a point at 23-22 but a kill from Duis gave Elmhurst a pair of set points. UW-Eau Claire fought off one set point but a kill from Peyton Froats gave the set to Elmhurst at 25-23.
 
The fourth set was even at 14-all before UW-Eau Claire rippe off four straight points to take an 18-14 lead. The Bluejays pulled to within two points at 19-17 but came no closer as the Blugolds closed out the set and the match.
 
Elmhurst hit .092 for the contest finishing with 46 kills and 28 errors in 195 attempts. Mast and Duis led the way for Elmhurst, finishing with 11 kills apiece. Mast added a double-double by totaling 20 digs. Burzlaff finished with sight kills while Zurliene and Froats tallied six kills each. Zurliene led the squad in digs with 23 while Finkbeinger totaled a team-leading 33 assists. Thomas added 17 digs while Yamashita totaled 15 digs and seven assists.
 
UW-Eau Claire was led by Arianna Barrett's 13-kill, 15-dig performance. Makenzie Bachmann added 10 kills and 21 digs while Sarah Kuchcik finished with 10 kills. Taylor Scalia totaled 34 digs for the Blugolds.
 
Elmhurst, off to a 3-1 start in the CCIW, resumes conference play on Wednesday, October 16 when the team hosts Millikin University.