APPLETON, Wis. – The No. 10-ranked UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (11-0) cruised to a pair of straight-set wins at the Lawrence Quad on Wednesday evening. The Pointers downed the host Vikings (4-6) by hitting .323 for the match, the highest of the season thus far. In the nightcap, UWSP hit .235 while holding St. Norbert (4-6) to a -.011 hitting percentage and 23 hitting errors.
Senior
Kelly Cefalu (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) led the way for UWSP recording 11 kills in each match. Fellow senior
Gabby Thomas (Henderson, MN/LeSueur-Henderson) added 18 total kills and junior
Ellen Drewry (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) contributed 15 kills.
Two-time, and reigning, WIAC Defensive Player of the Week
Bri Piepenbrok (Merrill, WI/Merrill) controlled the defensive side with 28 digs against Lawrence and 17 more versus St. Norbert. Freshman
Abby Majercik (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) provided 33 assists in each match.
UWSP 3, Lawrence 0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-17)
Cefalu recorded three early kills as the Pointers jumped out to a 7-1 first set lead. A pair of mid-set kills by Thomas and a late 4-0 run sealed the first set for UWSP.
Set two began much the same as the first with Cefalu, freshman
April Gehl (Hilbert, WI/Hilbert) and Drewry combining for four early kills and an 8-2 lead for the Pointers. Drewry, Thomas and Majercik recorded kills on four consecutive plays and senior
Marie Krengel (Eagan, MN/Eastview) served up an ace to up the lead to 18-6 as UWSP cruised through the set.
Five-consecutive kills by the Pointers put the visitors well on their way to a sweep to open set three. Three straight kills by Cefalu mid set pushed the advantage to 16-10 and freshman
Rachel Hein (Muskego, WI/Muskego) sealed the win with a match-ending kill.
UWSP 3, St. Norbert 0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-18)
Cefalu and Thomas led the way against St. Norbert in the nightcap. Both racked up 11 kills, the only players in double figures in the match. Junior
Kelly Magliano (Chicago, IL/Mount Assisi Academy) added five kills while Majercik hit .600 for the match.
Krengel served up four aces for the Pointers against SNC. Drewry had three solo blocks in the match for UWSP.
The Pointers take their unblemished record to Eau Claire for this weekend's UW-Eau Claire Tournament. UWSP will face St. Thomas and Lakeland on Friday and Concordia (Minn.) and Dominican (Ill.) on Saturday. UWSP opens WIAC play next Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Berg Gym versus UW-Platteville.
