Pioneers Lose in Straight Sets to WIAC Leader, UW-Stevens Point

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team dropped a 25-20, 25-15, 25-23 decision to UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday night at Williams Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers (18-10, 3-3 WIAC) was held to a .074 hitting percentage in the loss to the WIAC leaders. Senior Briana Kaiser, who was honored in pre-game festivities along with fellow senior Ali Sikic, led the attack with 10 kills.

The Pointers (18-6, 6-1 WIAC) hit .241 in the win and were led by Christina Brinkman, who had a match-high 11 kills.

The Pioneers held a 14-13 lead when Briana Kaiser hammered down her third kill of the set until the Pointers scored three-consecutive points to take a 16-14 lead to prompt a UW-Platteville timeout. After the timeout, the Pioneers took a 17-16 lead on back-to-back service aces by Andrea Larsen. The two teams went back and forth until a 6-1 spurt at the end of the set gave the visitors the opening set by a 25-20 margin.

In the second set, UW-Stevens Point built a 7-3 lead to start the set and remained in front for the rest of the set. The Pointers outhit the Pioneers by a .382 to .027 as Brinkman and Sarah Wildish had five and four kills, respectively to lead the visitors.

Neither team was able to sustain a lead in the third set as the two teams were tied 10 times and exchanged leads on six occasions. A 4-to-1 spurt at the end by the Pointers closed out the match.

The Pioneers will next travel to Elmhurst, Illinois for the Elmhurst Tournament where they will face North Central and Elmhurst on Friday, Oct. 21 at 4 and 8 p.m., respectively and University of Chicago and Wheaton on Saturday, Oct. 22 at noon and 2 p.m., respectively.