MENOMONIE — UW-Stout Polytechnic lost to Saint Mary's (MN) 3-2 (24-26, 21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 12-15) Wednesday at Johnson Fieldhouse.
 
After dropping the first two sets, the Blue Devils hit .469 in the third and .306 in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
The Blue Devils trailed 10-7 in the opening set before Sloan Horgan's kill sparked a six-point run that included a Kyra Giffen kill and blocks involving Brynn Hessel and Gabby Ehlers to put Stout in front 13-10. Saint Mary's pulled even at 17-17 and 18-18, then moved ahead 23-19 with four straight points. Stout answered to tie the set at 23-23 behind a Falon Hepola kill, a Brooke McCune-Hessel block, a Stephanie Petrbok ace and a Saint Mary's setting error, but Saint Mary's scored the final two points after a 24-24 tie to take the set 26-24.
 
Stout stayed within 7-5 early in the second set after kills by Ehlers, Emma Barton and Giffen, but Saint Mary's moved ahead 10-5 on an Ayla Olson service ace and an Ava Berg kill. The Blue Devils cut the gap to 15-13 with help from kills by Ehlers, Barton, McCune and Giffen. After Horgan's kill brought Stout within 16-14, Saint Mary's scored four straight points, including kills from Maddie Baker, Kinlee Grattan and Kaia DePaolo, to reach 20-14. UW-Stout made one more push to 22-20 with two blocks and two McCune kills, but Saint Mary's reached set point on an ace and closed the set 25-21 on a kill.
 
Stout built a 12-8 advantage in the third set as McCune, Hessel and Barton supplied kills and Petrbok added a service ace. Saint Mary's answered with seven of the next eight points, to move ahead 15-13. McCune and Giffen kills, along with an attack error, put Stout back in front 16-15. After SMU tied it at 16-16, the Blue Devils won seven of the next eight rallies, including kills by Barton, Hessel, Giffen and Hope Bushendorf, to move ahead 23-17. Bushendorf added another kill for set point at 24-18, and a Saint Mary's attack error finished a 25-18 set for Stout.
 
The Blue Devils and Saint Mary's traded points through the opening stretch of the fourth, with Bushendorf putting down consecutive kills for a 7-7 tie and an 8-7 lead before McCune and Horgan helped push the set to 12-9. Saint Mary's worked back to 14-14, but Hessel's kill, a Saint Mary's attack error and Giffen's kill gave UW-Stout a 17-14 lead. Three more Stout points after a service error moved the score to 20-15. After Saint Mary's got within 20-17, McCune and Horgan supplied late kills around Saint Mary's points, and Hepola finished the set with a kill for a 25-20 Blue Devils win.
 
Stout opened the fifth set with kills from McCune and Barton for a 2-0 lead, but Saint Mary's moved in front 3-2. McCune answered to tie it at 3-3, and after Stout went ahead 6-4 on her kill from Hepola, Saint Mary's scored six straight points to take a 10-6 lead. The Blue Devils came back to tie the set at 11-11 on a Bushendorf kill from Lainey Todd and again at 12-12 on a Giffen kill, but Saint Mary's took the final three points to win the set 15-12.
 
UW-STOUT TOP PERFORMERS
 
- McCune: Team-high 20 kills on .436 hitting, team-high 21.5 points, 1 service ace, 1 block.
- Hessel: Team-high 8 blocks, 6 kills on .238 hitting, 10.0 points.
- Kailey Kline: Team-high 15 digs, 2 assists.
- Todd: Team-high 29 assists, 3 digs.
- Petrbok: Team-high 3 service aces, 13 digs.
 
Stout falls to 12-7 overall and 0-2 in WIAC play.
 
The Blue Devils host UW-Platteville at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.