FOND DU LAC, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point men's volleyball team (1-1) split matches at the Marian Tri to open the 2025 season. UWSP swept Simpson (0-2) before falling to host Marian (2-0) in five sets.
 
Caleb Palmer (Littleton, Col./Chatfield) had a career-best five blocks in the sweep of Simpson. Freshman Nate Olson (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) totalled 25 kills on the day, including a match-high 16 against MU.
 
Fellow freshman Sam Jolin (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) was in double figures in assists in both matches. He had a match-high 32 against the Sabres. Liam Robertson (Waukesha, Wis./North) led all players with 14 digs in each match.
 
UWSP 3, Simpson 0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-17)
Olson had three kills as UWSP started the season with a 10-4 lead in the first set. Palmer had two kills and two blocks in a 7-1 burst as the Pointers went up 22-13. Olson closed the set win with a kill.
 
Josh Brogren (Elkhorn, Wis./Elkhorn Area) served an ace to start the second set. Owen Anderson had two kills in a 10-1 run as UWSP seized control, 20-9. Cael Bertrandt (Big Bend, Wis./Mukwonago) had a kill and a block to end set two.
 
Brogren, Olson and Kyle Smith (Waukesha, Wis./West) each had a kill as the Pointers began the third set ahead, 6-0. Olson had a kill and an ace as UWSP maintained the lead, 13-6. Palmer had consecutive blocks to begin a 4-0 run to seal the match.
 
UWSP 2, Marian 3 (18-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-22, 9-15)
Dylan Niznik (Antioch, Ill./Antioch Community) had a kill to start a 5-2 run for the Pointers early. Olson had five kills in the set, but a 7-0 run by the Sabres swayed the first set in the home team's favor.
 
Palmer and Bertrandt had two kills each as UWSP led 12-10 in the second set. Olson had a kill to end a 12-4 run by Marian as the Sabres took a 2-0 lead.
 
Olson and Smith combined for five kills as the Pointers took a 12-10 lead. Olson had two more kills in a 5-0 run to give UWSP the lead back at 19-17. Bertrandt and Smith combined on a block as UWSP took the third set with a 5-2 run at the end.
 
Smith had two kills and an ace as the team played to a 9-9 tie early in the fourth. Bertrandt had a kill and two blocks late as the Pointers forced a decisive fifth set.
 
Olson had a kill to give UWSP a 2-1 edge in the fifth, but the Pointers played from behind the remainder of the match. Niznik had two kills to get UWSP within 9-8, but MU closed the match on a 6-1 run.
 
The Pointers continue the season-opening road swing with two matches at the Benedictine Tournament on Monday (Jan. 20) beginning at 1:00 p.m.