TACOMA, Wash. – The UW-River Falls team opened its 2026 season on Friday with a pair of matches at the Puget Sound Premiere, sweeping Pacific University before rallying past Puget Sound 3-1 in its second match of the day.
Tomorrow, the Falcons face Pacific Lutheran at 11:30 a.m. (PT) and Franklin & Marshall at 4:30 p.m. (PT).
UW-River Falls 3, Pacific 0
In the Falcons' season-opening match, they finished with 40 kills and a .202 hitting percentage while limiting Pacific to a .031 clip. UWRF steadily improved throughout the match, hitting .143 in the opening set, .182 in the second and a match-best .281 in the third.
UWRF took control early, using 11 kills and a .143 attack percentage to build a 25-17 win. The second set proved more competitive, with the teams combining for nine tie scores and two lead changes, but the Falcons produced 16 kills to edge Pacific 25-23. UWRF then closed out the sweep with their strongest offensive set of the afternoon, recording 13 kills against just four errors while hitting .281 in the 25-16 third-set victory.
Grace McDole led all players with 11 kills (one shy of tying her career-high), while Amanda Baumann added eight kills on a team-best .389 hitting percentage. Blessing Adebisi contributed seven kills and two solo blocks, and Ava Goldsberry finished with five kills.
Cora Sayotovich directed the offense with 26 assists and added eight digs, while Audrey Petersen led the Falcons defensively with 15 digs. Olivia Noble recorded two service aces, and UWRF finished with five aces as a team.
UW-River Falls 3, Puget Sound 1
The Falcons closed the day with a victory over Puget Sound, overcoming a first-set setback to win three straight and finish the opening day unbeaten.
UWRF fell behind early after Puget Sound claimed the opening set 25-23, but the Falcons responded with a 25-20 second-set win. The offense then came alive in the third, producing 17 kills with just four errors for a .371 hitting percentage in a 25-22 victory. UWRF closed out the match with an 11-kill fourth set, holding off the Loggers 25-23.
Emily Brenner led the Falcons with 12 kills, while Ava Goldsberry added 11 and Blessing Adebisi finished with eight. Sarah Miller provided an efficient presence at the net with seven kills on 16 attacks for a .375 hitting percentage while adding three blocks. Cora Sayotovich directed the offense with 22 assists and added five service aces.
As a team, UWRF recorded 47 kills and hit .179 for the match, while also collecting 10 service aces. The Falcons finished the match with 55 digs, led by Audrey Petersen with 14 and Brenner with 12.
