MENOMONIE — The University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat (RV) UW-Platteville 3-2 (23-25, 25-16, 13-25, 25-22, 15-9) Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse, winning the final two sets to secure the WIAC victory.

Brooke McCune led the Blue Devils with 23 kills and 26.5 points, hitting .415 with just one error on 53 attempts while adding 12 digs. Emma Barton recorded a team-high seven blocks, including one solo, along with six kills, three service aces and 13.0 points. Lainey Todd finished with a team-high 20 assists and 13 digs, while Kailey Kline added 14 digs, seven assists and two service aces. Falon Hepola contributed 19 assists, five kills without an error on seven attempts for a .714 hitting percentage, and eight digs.

UW-Stout opened the first set with a Brynn Hessel kill and a Gabby Ehlers block assist to take a 3-0 lead. The Blue Devils later moved ahead 14-12 on a Barton kill and a Kline service ace. UW-Platteville responded with six consecutive points to take an 18-14 lead. Stout battled back, eventually taking a 23-22 advantage on kills by Barton, Hessel and Hepola. However, the Pioneers scored the final three points to claim the set 25-23.

The Blue Devils responded in the second set, building a 7-3 lead behind three early McCune kills, a Barton kill and a Sloan Horgan-Barton block. McCune's serving run helped extend the advantage to 13-4, and a Horgan kill followed by a Barton ace made it 15-5. After the Pioneers trimmed the margin to seven, Kyra Giffen ended the run with a kill and added two more as Stout extended its lead to 20-8. Barton's kill brought the Blue Devils to set point at 24-13 before they closed out the 25-16 win.

UW-Platteville took control in the third set with a six-point run to build a 10-3 lead, then used another six-point stretch to turn a 16-9 advantage into a 22-9 cushion. Barton added a late kill, McCune served an ace and Hepola recorded a kill, but the Pioneers secured the 25-13 win to take a 2-1 match lead.

Stout came out strong in the fourth set, with McCune recording kills on three of the Blue Devils' first four points. The Pioneers rallied to tie the set at 5-5 and later took an 11-8 lead. McCune tied the score at 14-14 before Stout took control with four consecutive points while McCune served. Barton recorded a block, followed by a Pioneers ball-handling error and back-to-back blocks by Horgan and Barton, giving the Blue Devils an 18-14 advantage. UW-Platteville battled back to tie the set at 20-20, but a Hessel-Giffen block put Stout back in front. McCune followed with a kill to bring the Blue Devils to set point before finishing the 25-22 victory on a Hepola assist to force a fifth set.

In the deciding set, McCune answered the Pioneers' opening point with a kill and added two more as Stout built a 5-1 lead, aided by an Ehlers-Barton block and a Pioneers attack error. The Blue Devils maintained control, extending their lead to 8-3 on a Hepola kill and 11-6 on a Horgan kill. Hessel added a kill for a 12-7 advantage and later recorded a block to make it 13-8. Kline's service ace brought Stout to match point, and a UW-Platteville setting error sealed the 15-9 win.

UP NEXT

UW-Stout improved to 13-7 overall and 1-2 in WIAC play. The Blue Devils travel to Oshkosh, Wis., to face the No. 1-ranked UW-Oshkosh Titans at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Kolf Center.