NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The No. 17 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (14-4) finished strong in a split on day one at the CCIW/WIAC Crossover on Friday.  In the opening match of the day, the Pointers dropped a four-set match to host North Central (7-2) with the final two sets going extra.  In the nightcap, UWSP rolled to victory after a 1-1 tie for decisive set wins to finish off North Park (6-4).
 
Sophomore April Gehl (Hilbert, Wis./Hilbert) piled up a career-high 23 kills in the win over NPU.  She had 34 kills on the day.  Gehl added six blocks against NCC and had three aces in the victory against NPU.
 
Freshman Ellie Adams (Racine, Wis./William Horlick) led the Pointers in assist both matches.  She had 16 in the first match and 17 versus North Park.
 
Senior Kendra Kundinger (Auburndale, Wis./Auburndale) continued to rack up double-digit digs performances.  She had 21 against the Cardinals and another 19 against NPU for her 17 double-figure digs match on the season.
 
UWSP 1, NCC 3 (25-18, 22-25, 30-32, 25-27)
The Pointers fell into a 5-1 hole early in the first set.  The momentum of the host Cardinals kept up throughout the set.  Carly Nisleit (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) had a kill late in the set to cap a three-point run to pull UWSP to within 19-15, but the Pointers would get no closer.
 
Shannah Carter (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) and Kundinger each recorded an ace early in the second set.  Later, a pair of kills by Morgan Wirkus (Marathon, Wis./Marathon) helped the Pointers even the set at 12-all.  Back-to-back kills by Gehl sparked a five-point burst to take an 18-15 lead.  More late-set kills by Wirkus helped the Pointers stay ahead and Gehl ended the set with a kill to even the match.
 
UWSP took a 6-2 lead out of the gate in set three.  After each side exchanged strings of errors, the Pointers used a 5-0 run to jump ahead 18-14.  Later kills by Wirkus and Kelly Magliano (Chicago, Ill./Mount Assisi Academy) each gave the Pointers set point.  After some back-and-forth in extras, NCC strung together three-straight points to pull out the 32-30 set win.
 
Three-consecutive service aces gave North Central an early 5-2 edge. Back-to-back kills by Wirkus got UWSP within two.  Later, four-straight kills by UWSP, included consecutive kills by Danielle Coleman (Rockford, Ill./Keith Country Day), cut into a seven-point deficit.  Gehl thwarted a pair of match points with kills, but NCC prevailed with the final two points to break a 25-25 tie.
 
UWSP 3, NPU 1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-14, 25-12)
Wirkus had three kills early in the first set to give UWSP an 11-7 advantage.  Magliano started a three-point spurt with a kill to grow the lead to 14-8.  Gehl had three kills in a seven-point run as UWSP pulled away and Wirkus finished swings for set point and the set win.
 
Four kills helped the Pointers build a 5-1 lead in the second set.  Gehl and Magliano each had a pair of kills to briefly keep the lead for UWSP.  Then with the set tied at 21-21, NPU scored the final four points to even the match.
 
Gehl took over to begin the third set.  She had three kills and an ace as UWSP went up 9-2.  Later, Wirkus and Gehl combined to power a nine-point run to put the set away.
 
Wirkus broke a 5-all tie with a kill as UWSP took seven of the next eight points.  Gehl added four kills over a five-point span as the Pointers won eight-consecutive points for a 20-8 lead.  After a brief run by NPU, Gehl buried another kill as UWSP closed out the set and the match.
 
The Pointers conclude play at the CCIW/WIAC Crossover on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. against Augustana.