NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (14-5) took the opening set in a four-set loss to Augustana (8-7) on Saturday morning to wrap up the CCIW/WIAC Crossover in Naperville, Ill.
 
Sophomore April Gehl (Hilbert, Wis./Hilbert) nearly matched her career high, which she set yesterday, as she led UWSP with 21 kills.  Gehl also added 10 digs for her third double-double of the weekend.
 
Senior Morgan Wirkus (Marathon, Wis./Marathon) tallied 19 kills, her 11th double-figure kills match of the season.  Fellow senior Kelly Magliano (Chicago, Ill./Mount Assisi Academy) recorded a match-high six blocks and added nine kills.
 
Delaney McCreary (West Bend, Wis./East) and Ellie Adams (Racine, Wis./William Horlick) tied for the assists lead with 21 helpers apiece.  Senior Kendra Kundinger (Auburndale, Wis./Auburndale) had 25 digs, her 18th double-digit match of the year.
 
Gehl buried back-to-back kills to get UWSP on the board after a 3-0 start by Augustana in the first set.  Later in the set, kills by Magliano helped UWSP pull even and take a lead.  Gehl closed out the set in favor of the Pointers with her eighth kill of the match.
 
Wirkus and Magliano combined for three kills in a five-point run for UWSP to take a lead in the second set after an early deficit.  The Vikings responded with a 5-0 run of their own and the teams exchanged point the remainder of the set as Augustana evened the match.
 
Four consecutive kills followed by a service ace from Kundinger put UWSP in front, 5-3, early in the third set.  A 9-3 run gave the Pointers an 18-13 advantage, but Augustana responded with nine-straight points to put UWSP down.  Tara Emme (St. Nazianz, Wis./Valders) recorded a pair of late kills to help UWSP avert four-straight set points, but the Vikings closed out the set in extras.
 
Wirkus began the fourth set with an ace and the Pointers took a 3-1 lead early.  A 5-1 run by Augustana put the Pointers down by a pair and the teams exchanged points until a 4-0 run gave the Vikings a 13-7 lead.  Another four-point run by AC made the deficit nine points.  Wirkus sparked a four-point run for UWSP with a pair of kills to begin a comeback.  Then with the set 23-17 in favor of Augustana, Shannah Carter (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) served up a pair of aces in a 6-0 run to tie the set.  But with the score tied at 25-25, the Vikings scored the final two points to end the match.
 
The Pointers return home for a conference matchup against UW-Stout on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Berg Gym.