STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The 15th-ranked UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (9-0) knocked off No. 12 Bethel (8-1) in four sets and swept Bethany Lutheran (1-8) to complete an undefeated weekend in its own UW-Stevens Point Invitational on Saturday.
Seniors Kelly Cefalu (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) and Gabby Thomas (Henderson, MN/LeSueur-Henderson) each recorded double-digits kills yet again as the Pointers out-hit Bethel and committed fewer errors to prevail in the battle of top-20 programs. Freshman Abby Majercik (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) had a season-high 36 assists in the win over the Royals.
Pointers head coach Abbey Sutherland utilized her depth and gave a plethora of players time on the court as UWSP eased past the Vikings in the tournament's final match. Cefalu and fellow senior Bri Piepenbrok (Merrill, WI/Merrill) were named to the all-tournament team.
UWSP 3, Bethel 1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-14, 25-23)
UWSP got a pair of kills and an assisted block by junior Ellen Drewry (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) to begin a 6-0 run that tilted the first set in the Pointers' favor, 10-5.
The Pointers found themselves in an early hole in the second set. A couple of 4-0 runs started by kills by UWSP's seniors helped the Pointers get within 21-20 late, but the rally was thwarted as the teams ended up splitting the first two sets.
A late 6-0 run in the third set was aided by four UWSP kills to build an insurmountable 22-13 edge. The momentum carried into the fourth set with freshman April Gehl (Hilbert, WI/Hilbert) contributing back-to-back kills amid a series of runs at UWSP took an 11-4 lead. The visiting Royals rallied back to within 23-24 before Cefalu ended the match with an emphatic kill.
UWSP 3, Bethany Lutheran 0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-19)
Piepenbrok served up two early aces and Thomas had a pair of kills as UWSP pushed the lead to 19-8 in the first set win. Freshmen Gehl and Rachel Hein (Muskego, WI/Muskego) combined for seven kills in the set two win over the Vikings.
Junior Bella Nelson (Luck, WI/Luck) recorded a pair of kills early in set three to put the Pointers ahead 5-1. Fellow junior Kendra Kundinger (Auburndale, WI/Auburndale) added a couple of service aces and Nelson ended the match on her fifth kill.
The Pointers head to the Lawrence Quad on Wednesday with a twin bill of matches against host Lawrence at 5:30 p.m. and St. Norbert at 7:30 p.m.
