WHITEWATER, Wis. – The No. 12 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (10-2, 1-1) and No. 15 UW-Whitewater (12-2, 2-0) needed all five sets to decide Wednesday's conference showdown before the host Warhawks prevailed, 3-2.
 
Ashley Kopp (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) and Grace Michalske (Wausau, Wis./West) had double-doubles for the Pointers. Kopp posted 20 kills to go with 16 digs. Michalske had a match-high 41 assists with 14 digs.
 
Emma Peterson (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson) led all players with 30 digs. Olivia Paukner (Prairie Du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) recorded her first career double-figure kills match with 12. She added a match-high seven blocks.
 
Kopp had two kills and an ace as the Pointers jumped ahead 4-1 in the first. Four kills by Kopp in a 9-1 run gave UWSP a 15-9 advantage. Melanie Meyer (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson) added a late kill and Kopp secured the first set with her ninth kill of the set.
 
Paukner had a block and two kills early in the second, but UWSP fell behind, 14-6. She had two more blocks and a trio of kills as used a 6-1 run to get within 18-14. Another block by Paukner late wasn't enough as UWW evened the match.
 
Kopp and Paukner each had a kill and combined for a block as UWSP opened the third set ahead 4-0. Back-to-back aces by Katie Larson (Hammond, Wis./St. Croix Central) put the Pointers in front 9-8. After a Paukner kill tied the set at 16-16, UWSP got a pair of kills by Sydney Mosinski (Nevada, Iowa/Nevada) as UWW closed the set with a 9-2 run.
 
Larson and Kopp combined for five kills early in the fourth set, but UWSP trailed, 19-14.  After a Kopp ace, the Warhawks gained match point at 24-21. Kills by Kopp and Mosinski got UWSP within one. An attack error by UWW tied the set at 24-24. After the Warhawks again gained match point, a kill by Kopp, a block by Mosinski and a kill by Mosinski forced a decisive fifth set.
 
Paukner had three kills early as the team tied the fifth, 4-4. Kopp and Paukner had consecutive kills to get UWSP within 10-9, but UWW scored the final five points to take the match.
 
UWSP returns home to host the Pointers Invitational beginning on Friday (Sept. 23). The first match of the 10-match tournament begins at 3:00 p.m. in Berg Gym. UWSP will face St. Olaf on Friday at 7:00 p.m.