STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-River Falls volleyball team opened WIAC play with a hard-fought battle on the road, ultimately falling to UW-Stevens Point in four sets (23-25, 16-25, 32-30, 21-25) at Berg Gym.
After narrowly dropping the first set 25-23, the Falcons struggled to find rhythm in the second, hitting just .091 as the Pointers pulled away. But UWRF responded in the third with their best offensive performance of the night, hitting .204 and outlasting UWSP 32-30 in a thrilling set that featured 13 ties and seven lead changes.
In the fourth, the Falcons stayed within striking distance but couldn't overcome a late surge by the Pointers, who closed out the match 25-21.
Ava Goldsberry led the Falcons with 12 kills, while Reese Bauman added 11 kills with a .250 hitting percentage. Lauren Noth contributed 10 kills and 15 digs, and Audrey Petersen anchored the back row with a team-high 18 digs. Olivia Noble led the setters with 21 assists.
UWRF compiled a team hitting percentage of .066 compared to UWSP's .196.
The Falcons (5-7, 0-1 WIAC) remain in Stevens Point tomorrow to compete at the Pointers Invitational with matches against Carroll and Lakeland.
