PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The visiting Rams were one set away from sweeping the nation's 19th-ranked volleyball team at a packed Williams Fieldhouse Friday night.
 
UW-Platteville won the final three sets and outlasted Cornell 21-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-11 in a 2-hour, 13-minute nonconference battle before 1,745 fans.
 
Friday marked the seventh five-set match of the season for the Rams (7-11), who moved to 2-6 against nationally-ranked opponents. UW-Platteville improved to 19-3.
 
Playing their first match in nearly two weeks, the rested Rams gained early control in building a 2-0 sets advantage. Cornell was tied 15-15 in the third set, although couldn't finish off the Pioneers.
 
The Rams led 7-6 in the decisive fifth set before UW-Platteville pulled ahead to stay with four unanswered points.
 
Cornell turned in a strong .229 hitting night, paced by Ilah Perez-Johnson's 21 kills and Clare Green's 42 assists. Perez-Johnson and Green both completed double-doubles with 13 and 11 digs, respectively.
 
Carly Puffer posted 11 kills and five blocks. Kiana Manson had 10 kills and Mia Tubbs added five blocks. Elle Becker led the Rams with 14 digs.
 
UW-Platteville held an 11-3 advantage in ace serves. Emma Carlson had 28 kills and 18 digs to lead the Pioneers.
 
Coming up – The 11-time defending Midwest Conference champion Rams open MWC play Saturday at 1 p.m. against Ripon in Ripon, Wis.