PLATTEVILLE, Wis. –
Gabby Thomas (Henderson, MN/LeSueur-Henderson) and
Kelly Cefalu (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) each set career-highs in kills to help the No. 10 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team win its Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) opener 21-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-19, 15-11 over UW-Platteville on Wednesday evening at Bo Ryan Court.
Box Score Thomas tallied 21 kills and Cefalu added 19 for UW-Stevens Point (13-2, 1-0 WIAC), which won the final four points of the match. The pair combined for 40 of UWSP's 65 kills in the absence of All-American
Emma Brunkhorst (Germantown, WI/Germantown).
The Pointers led 8-3 early in the decisive fifth set only for the Pioneers to battle back to tie it at 11-11. UW-Stevens Point got a kill from
Marie Krengel (Eagan, MN/Eastview), an ace by
Kendra Kundinger (Auburndale, WI/Auburndale), a UWP attack error and a kill by Cefalu to escape with the win.
Ellen Drewry (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) pitched in with 10 kills and five total blocks and
Brittany Laffin (Carpentersville, IL/Hampshire) recorded 52 assists, two shy of her career-high, for the Pointers, who played their fourth five-setter in the last five matches.
Bri Piepenbrok (Merrill, WI/Merrill), Krengel and
Hannah Picel (West Bend, WI/West Bend West) anchored UW-Stevens Point's defense, finishing with 19, 18 and 16 digs, respectively.
Rachel Ambroch led UW-Platteville with 20 kills, while Lauren Grady and Lidia Frias each had 10. Allie Carter registered 45 assists and Lindsey Decker posted a match-high 29 digs.
The Pioneers closed the first set strong by winning five of the final seven points and the hosts outhit the Pointers .212-.086 in the first set. UW-Platteville then hit -.024 in the second set as UW-Stevens Point evened the score at a set apiece.
UW-Platteville heated up to hit .400 in the third set and used a 6-1 run in the middle stages of the set to again go up by a set. The Pointers went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-6 lead in the fourth and maintained at least a five-point advantage the rest of the set to send the match the distance.
UW-Stevens Point heads to Elmhurst, Ill. to play three matches this weekend. The Pointers face Augustana (Ill.) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 before taking on Wheaton (Ill.) and No. 16 Elmhurst for the second time in a week on Saturday, Sept. 26.
