MADISON, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (21-4) snapped a two-game skid with wins over Benedictine and Edgewood in Madison on Saturday at the Edgewood Triangular.  The Pointers defeated Benedictine (10-15) in four sets and thwarted three match points to prevail in five sets over host Edgewood (14-12).

Senior Kelly Cefalu (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) racked up 46 kills over the two matches, her first back-to-back 20-kill matches of the season.  She also added 21 digs to record a double-double in both matches.

Junior Delaney McCreary (West Bend, WI/East) had a career-high 21 assists in the win over Benedictine.  Freshman Abby Majercik (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) had 33 helpers in the victory over Edgewood.

UWSP 3, Benedictine 1 (25-9, 26-24, 24-26, 25-15)
Early in the first set, Cefalu had a kill and an ace in the first of two 3-0 runs to put UWSP up 10-4.  Later in the set, senior Marie Krengel (Eagan, MN/Eastview) had a pair of aces in a 5-0 run as the Pointers pulled away for the set win.

Each team had a 6-0 run in the middle of the second set leading to a 15-15 tie.  Senior Bri Piepenbrok (Merrill, WI/Merrill) served up a late 5-0 run and junior Bella Nelson (Luck, WI/Luck) provided the set-ending kill.

A see-saw third set went to Benedictine.  In the fourth set, senior Gabby Thomas (Henderson, MN/LeSueur-Henderson) punctuated a 4-0 run with back-to-back kills and a 7-3 lead.  Nelson and Cefalu had consecutive kills in a 7-2 run to put the Pointers up 18-8 as UWSP finished off the match strong.

UWSP 3, Edgewood 2 (21-25, 25-18, 15-25, 26-24, 17-15)
Edgewood jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set and never trailed despite a valiant effort by the Pointers.

Piepenbrok served up two aces and Cefalu had three kills as the Pointers took a 6-1 set two lead.  Back-to-back kills by Krengel followed a Brittany Laffin (Carpentersville, IL/Hampshire) ace to give UWSP a 16-9 edge later in the set and the Pointers went on the even the match.

The home team progressively built a lead in the third set to take a 2-1 lead.  The story seemed the same in the fourth set as Edgewood took a 19-9 lead.  Kendra Kundinger (Auburndale, WI/Auburndale) served up a 3-0 run.  Then kills by Cefalu and Ellen Drewry (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) narrowed the deficit.  Nelson and Cefalu combined for three kills as the Pointers pulled to within 22-21.  Back-to-back points by Edgewood gave the hosts match point, but UWSP rattled off five-straight points capped by a Cefalu ace to force a decisive fifth set.

The fifth set went back and forth with neither team leading by more than three points at any point.  Kelly Magliano (Chicago, IL/Mount Assisi Academy) capped the longest run of the set with an ace as UWSP knotted the set at 8-8.  Later in the set, Piepenbrok served up her third ace of the match for a 13-all tie.  After Edgewood earned match point, kills by Cefalu and Nelson swung match point in favor of the Pointers.  Edgewood tied the set at 15-15, but the Pointers won the final two points for the match victory.

UWSP travels to Oshkosh on Wednesday for a WIAC matchup with the Titans.  Next weekend, the Pointers take part in the UW-Whitewater Dig Panici Classic with matches against Carthage, Elmhurst and Loras.