The Riverland volleyball team couldn’t match Rochester’s hitting in a three-game loss in Riverland Gym Wednesday.

Rochester attacked early and often to beat the Blue Devils (8-7 overall, 1-3 MCAC South) 25-18, 25-22, 25-14.

The Blue Devils scored the first point of the first and second games, but they fell behind 8-1 early in the third game.

“You could feel they were in control,” Riverland head coach Helen Jahr said. “I think our errors lost us the first game, then Rochester’s net play and quickness was too much for our blockers to handle in the next two games. They’re really relentless.”

Riverland pulled to within 18-20 in the second game on a Brooke Monson kill, but Rochester bounced back to take a 24-19 lead. The Blue Devils scored three straight points before Rochester won the game.

“When they’re sitting on game point, you make one mistake and that’s it,” Jahr said.

Riverland trailed the third game by as much as 6-20, before Ashley Lau served five straight points to make it a little closer. Lau finished with eight kills, 12 digs, and two aces.

In the first game Riverland was within 6-8 after a kill by Lau, but after the Blue Devils served it into the net, they never got closer than three the rest of the way.

Monson had 10 kills for Riverland, Ashleigh Smith had 15 digs, Krissy Schemmel had 13 assists and Tiffany Preuss had nine assists.

Riverland will host Western Wisconsin Technical Institute Monday at 6:30 p.m.