EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The No. 10 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (19-3, 2-1) were on the wrong end of a very tight match on the road with No. 22 UW-Eau Claire (18-3, 3-0) on Wednesday night. The host Blugolds prevailed with 25-23, 25-22 and 25-23 set victories to hand the Pointers the first conference loss of the season.

Senior Kelly Cefalu (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) recorded double-digits kills for the seventh consecutive match to lead the UWSP attack.  Fellow senior Gabby Thomas (Henderson, MN/LeSueur-Henderson) added nine kills with junior Ellen Drewry (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) contributing seven,

Libero Bri Piepenbrok (Merrill, WI/Merrill) increased her league leading total with 26 digs in the match tonight.  Freshman Abby Majercik (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) and junior Delaney McCreary (West Bend, WI/East) shared the setting duties, each recording double-digits assists.

Cefalu salvaged a slow start with a pair of early kills to keep the Pointers close in the first set.  Mid set, the Pointers used a 5-0 and 4-0 run to take 14-9 lead.  Cefalu had back-to-back kills to up the lead to 16-10, but a 7-0 run put the hosts back in front.  A service ace by senior Marie Krengel (Eagan, MN/Eastview) was part of a 4-0 run to tie the set at 23, but UWEC scored the final two points to take the set.

Kills by Kelly Magliano (Chicago, IL/Mount Assisi Academy), Cefalu and Thomas erased an early deficit in set two.  Later in the set, Krengel served up a 5-0 run to give UWSP a 14-13 edge.  After a pair of runs gave the Blugolds a good lead, Cefalu recorded a trio of kills to bring the Pointers within striking distance.  UWSP averted three-straight set points before UWEC ended the set.

Drewry, Thomas and Bella Nelson (Luck, WI/Luck) got early kills and Krengel added an ace to put UWSP up 5-3 in the third set.  A pair of Blugolds runs put the Pointers behind 10-6, but UWSP battled to within a point six times before a 5-0 run gave the Pointers a 20-17 lead.  The Blugolds moved back in front with a pair of 3-0 runs and ended the match before UWSP could equalize.

The Pointers return home on Saturday (Oct. 8) at 7:00 p.m. versus UW-La Crosse.  The match with the Eagles will be Attacking Alzheimer's night with a 50/50 raffle, t-shirts for sale and more, all to benefit the Alzheimer's Association.