STEVENS POINT, Wis. --- Berg Gym was rocking on Wednesday night as the No. 11 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (19-2, 2-0) took down No. 12 UW-Whitewater (12-4, 1-1) in five sets in WIAC play. 

After battling back from a first set loss, UWSP rallied for consecutive set wins, but the visiting Warhawks sent the match to a decisive fifth set.  The Pointers hit .269 in the fifth set, the best in the match, and overpowered the visitors for the victory.

Senior Kelly Cefalu (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) had 15 kills to lead a trio of Pointers in double digits.  Freshman April Gehl (Hilbert, WI/Hilbert) added 12 kills and junior Ellen Drewry (Waunakee, WI/Waunakee) contributed 11.

Senior Bri Piepenbrok (Merrill, WI/Merrill) had a match-high 31 digs with senior Marie Krengel (Eagan, MN/Eastview) and junior Kendra Kundinger (Auburndale, WI/Auburndale) adding 17 and 13 digs, respectively.  Freshman setter Abby Majercik (Johnsburg, IL/Johnsburg) added 44 assists for UWSP.

Gehl had a pair of mid-set kills as the Pointers attempted to battle back from an early set one deficit.  Freshman Rachel Hein (Muskego, WI/Muskego) added two late-set kills as UWSP was able to get within two points, but UWW took the opening set, 25-20.

Hein and Cefalu combined for a couple early kills as the Pointers built a 6-3 lead in set two.  Gehl added a pair of kills mid-set to maintain a slight cushion at 12-8.  Senior Gabby Thomas (Henderson, MN/LeSueur-Henderson) powered home back-to-back kills and Drewry finished off the set with two late kills to even the match.

Majercik served up an ace as part of a 6-0 run to put UWSP ahead 8-6 in the third set.  Sophomore Shannah Carter (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake) added an ace in a 4-0 run and Thomas added a kill in another 4-0 run as the Pointers jumped ahead 18-10. Cefalu took over late with five kills, four-in-a-row, as UWSP finished off the set.

The Warhawks jumped in front early in the fourth set and held a sizeable advantage throughout the set.  Late, junior Bella Nelson (Luck, WI/Luck) had a kill and a service ace on consecutive points as the Pointers narrowed the gap.

In the decisive fifth set, Cefalu, Drewry and Magliano powered home early kills to put UWSP ahead 6-3.  Three successive Pointers kills extended the lead to 9-4.  Back-to-back kills by Drewry increased the lead to 13-6 and Drewry finished off the match with another kill.

The Pointers next play on Wednesday, October 5, with a 7:00 p.m. match at UW-Eau Claire.  UWSP returns home on October 8 at 7:00 p.m. versus UW-La Crosse for Alzheimer's Awareness Night.