STEVENS POINT, Wis. -- The UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (16-2) took care of North Park (5-10) in the opening match of the CCIW/WIAC Crossover before falling in five sets to Elmhurst (8-4).

Senior Kelly Cefalu (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) racked up 35 kills on the day and was the only player with double-digit kills in the match with North Park.  In the nightcap, freshman April Gehl (Hilbert, WI/Hilbert) and senior Gabby Thomas (Henderson, MN/LeSueur-Henderson) each added double-digit kills as Thomas recorded a double-double with 18 digs versus the Bluejays.

Freshman Abby Majercik (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) matched a season-high with 55 assists against Elmhurst and had 82 on the day.  Senior Bri Piepenbrok (Merrill, WI/Merrill) had 13 digs in the opener and led a trio of Pointers with double-digit digs against Elmhurst.

UWSP 3, North Park 0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-11)
Thomas buried a pair of kills as part of a 7-1 run as UWSP took an 8-4 lead in the first set.  Later in the set, Majercik sandwiched a Thomas kill with service aces as the Pointers led 23-12 en route to a first set victory.

Thomas served out the second set as NPU had six attack errors on the last seven UWSP points.  In the third set, Gehl had four kills in the span of seven points for UWSP to open a 14-5 advantage.  Cefalu powered a pair of late kills to complete the sweep.

UWSP 2, Elmhurst 3 (25-19, 25-13, 24-26, 24-26, 11-15)
Cefalu and Gehl had back-to-back kills to begin a 5-0 run to give the Pointers a 7-4 first set edge.  Gehl knotted the set at 19-19 with a kill and senior Marie Krengel (Eagan, MN/Eastview) served out the set adding an ace to kills by Cefalu and junior Ellen Drewry (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee).

Krengel again was serving in set two as the Pointers took an 8-0 run to an easy set two win.  In set three, the Pointers squandered an early set lead as Elmhurst rallied for a 19-16 lead late.  Gehl and Thomas combined for three late kills as UWSP pulled even at 24-24, but the Bluejays took the final two points for the set.

The Pointers opened a 4-0 lead to begin set four.  Later in the set, Cefalu sparked a 4-0 run to put UWSP in front 15-14.  The set seesawed back and forth until Thomas' kills made the score 24-24, but again Elmhurst won the final two points to force a decisive fifth set.

Cefalu, Gehl and junior Kelly Magliano (Chicago, IL/Mount Assisi Academy) powered four early kills as the Pointers took a 5-3 lead.  A 5-0 Elmhurst run turned the tide in the Bluejays' favor.  Cefalu and Magliano added late kills to keep UWSP close, but Elmhurst prevailed with a late two-point rally to end the match.

The Pointers continue play in the CCIW/WIAC Crossover on Saturday against No. 16 Illinois Weleyan at 12:00 p.m. at Berg Gym.  UWSP closes out the weekend against Wheaton at 4:00 p.m.