STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The No. 23 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (22-10) got double-doubles from three players, but fell to visiting UW-Eau Claire (16-13) by a 3-1 final in the opening match of the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's) on Tuesday.
Ashley Kopp (Muskego, Wis./Muskego),
Grace Michalske (Wausau, Wis./West) and
Lauren Shaw (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) each had a double-double in the match. Kopp led all players with 19 kills and she added 11 digs. Michalske had a match-high 44 assists to go with 10 digs. Shaw posted 14 digs and 11 kills.
Tessa Erlandson (Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon Wanamingo) racked up a match-best and season-high 30 digs in the match. She also recorded UWSP's only three aces of the match.
Sydney Mosinski (Nevada, Iowa/Nevada) was in double digits with 11 kills.
Kopp and
Carly Thomka (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) had three kills each to begin the match as UWSP held a 10-8 advantage in the first.
Summer Salettel (Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam) had a pair of blocks as the Pointers were up 16-15. Kopp had a kill to halt a 6-0 run by the Blugolds, but UWE took the opening set, 25-20.
Michalske registered a kill to cap a 4-0 burst as UWSP went ahead, 10-9, in the second. Mosinski added three kills and as the Pointers pushed the lead to 18-13. Kopp had three kills as UWSP got within two points of finishing the set. A Mosinski kill followed by a block by Salettel and Thomka gave the Pointers the set, 25-20.
Erlandson notched one of her aces in a 5-0 run as UWSP jumped in front 8-6 in the third. She added another ace in a 4-1 spurt to keep UWSP ahead, 19-15. Kopp had consecutive kills after a 7-1 run by UWEC as the Pointers regained the lead, 23-22. Salettel had a kill to spoil a Blugolds' set point, but UWEC took the third, 27-25.
Shaw had three kills early in the fourth set as UWSP took a 7-4 lead. Thomka had a kill for a 12-7 advantage, but a 6-1 run by UWEC tied the set at 13-13. Shaw added three more kills as the battle swayed briefly to UWSP, 18-17. Two kills by Kopp and one by Thomka couldn't send the match to the fifth as UWEC took the set, 25-22.
The Pointers will await Monday's NCAA Selection Show to find out if their season will continue.