ST. PAUL, Minn. – The UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (5-5) suffered a pair of sweeps at the hands of No. 13 Northwestern (4-4) and No. 5 Emory (8-1) to close out the weekend at the UNW Tournament.
Grace Michalske (Wausau, Wis./West) led all players in assists in both matches with 22 and 20 on the day.
Ashley Kopp (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) led the Pointers with 13 and nine kills. She was named to the all-tournament team.
Tessa Erlandson (Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon Wanamingo) was the only Pointer in double figures in digs in both matches with 12 and 16.
Game 1 – UWSP 0, UNW 3 (18-25, 22-25, 16-25)
Carly Thomka (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) had a pair of kills as UWSP opened the match in front, 5-1.
Lauren Shaw (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) and
Sydney Mosinski (Nevada, Iowa/Nevada) added a kill apiece as the Pointers were up 11-6. Shaw and Mosinski combined on a block for an 18-16 advantage, but UNW rattled off the final nine points to take to first set.
Kopp had five kills as UWSP had a 13-12 edge midway through the second. Kopp added two more late kills, but UNW took the lead after a 20-20 tie to go up 2-0.
Kopp and Thomka had three kills and three blocks as UWSP opened the third with an 8-3 lead. UNW used a 7-0 take push in front, 10-8. Freshman
Sadie Grabarski (Waunakee, Wis./Waunakee Community) recorded her first collegiate block as UWSP held off two match points before UNW finished the sweep.
Game 2 – UWSP 0 Emory 3 (19-25, 17-25, 23-25)
Kopp and Shaw combined for three kills as UWSP started with a 7-4 lead. Shaw added two more kills as UWSP stayed close at 18-17. Emory finished the first set with a 7-2 run.
Katie Larson (Hammond, Wis./St. Croix Central) had one of UWSP's four kills as the teams played to a 10-10 tie in the second. Thomka had a kill as the lone point in an 11-1 run by Emory. Mosinski had two kills late, but the Pointers fell behind 2-0.
Grabarski posted her first career kill as UWSP led 7-6 in the third. Larson and Thomka had three kills each, but UWSP couldn't hold off Emory in the end.
UWSP opens conference play at home on Wednesday (Sept. 18) with a 7:00 p.m. match against UW-Eau Claire.