PLYMOUTH, Wis. – A second chance at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for the Lakeland University men's volleyball team went considerably poorer than the first, as the Muskies struggled in a three-set loss Saturday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Pointers cruised through the first two sets and rallied to win the third as well to complete a 25-17, 25-19, 25-21 sweep of the Muskies. After winning the teams' first-ever meeting in five sets back in January, UWSP completed a season sweep of the teams' non-conference series and sent the Muskies to a 2-7 record this season.

UW-Stevens Point (5-4 overall) outlasted Lakeland in an extra-long deciding fifth set in the teams' first meeting back on Jan. 18 in Stevens Point, the 22-20 score the highest-scoring fifth set in Muskies varsity history. The Pointers would need no such heroics in this one, as Lakeland struggled to a .019 hitting percentage with 28 kills and 26 errors.

The Muskies also were unable to put up a big challenge at the net defensively, finishing with just one block while Stevens Point hit .253 as a team with 32 kills and nine errors. UWSP was even much better than that in the first two-thirds of the match, hitting .380 in winning the first two, and rebounded just in time to wrestle the third set away from Lakeland, too.

The Muskies built an early 8-3 lead in forcing the Pointers to take a timeout early in the third, and Lakeland pushed that lead to 15-10 after a kill by Colin Kenney (Sr.-Shorewood, Wis.). UWSP would come back with four straight to get within a point, but the Muskies steadied with two straight points on kills by Ben Busalacchi (Sr.-Muskego, Wis.) to push the lead back to 17-14.

Lakeland still held an 18-16 lead when the Pointers essentially put the match away with an 8-1 run. Three attack errors plus two more blocks gave UWSP five points, including a block to get to match point at 24-19. The Muskies saved two match points but could not a third when Zach Meyers sent home the final of his 13 kills to end it.

Busalacchi finished with 15 kills and Kenney added eight kills, but the rest of the team combined for just five kills. Eli Weinrich (So.-Mequon, Wis.) finished with 15 digs, Chase Anderson (So.-Hartford, Wis.) totaled 25 assists and Levi Everts (Jr.-Hartford, Wis.) also added 10 digs.

Spencer Baeckman also finished with seven kills, Josh Brogren posted 24 assists and Meyers also added three blocks as UWSP finished with an 8-1 advantage in blocks.

The Muskies go on the road for their next match Friday against Maranatha Baptist University at 7 p.m. in Watertown.