WHITEWATER, Wis. – The No. 17 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (13-3, 0-1) opened conference play with a five-set setback to No. 11 UW-Whitewater (8-3, 1-0) on Wednesday night.  The Pointers won the first and third sets as three of the five sets required extra points to decide a winner.  It was UWSP's first five-set match of the season.
 
Sophomore Abby Majercik (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) recorded a double-double for UWSP with a team-high 21 assists and 12 digs.  Freshman Ellie Adams (Racine, Wis./William Horlick) and senior Delaney McCreary (West Bend, Wis./East) added 15 and 12 assists, respectively.
 
April Gehl (Hilbert, Wis./Hilbert) led UWSP with 15 kills on the night.  Senior Kelly Magliano (Chicago, Ill./Mount Assisi Academy) added 11 with Maddie Courter (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) and Morgan Wirkus (Marathon, Wis./Marathon) also in double figures at 10 kills apiece.
 
Kendra Kundinger (Auburndale, Wis./Auburndale) continued to be the rock defensively with 34 digs.  Lisa Bedessem (Burlington, Wis./Sauk Prairie) and Shannah Carter (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) contributed 16 and 13 digs.
 
Senior Danielle Coleman (Rockford, Ill./Keith Country Day) rocked a pair of consecutive kills to pull UWSP even at 5-5 after an early deficit in the first set.  Gehl added a couple mid-set kills at up the edge to 15-12.  Back-to-back service aces by Carter followed by a Magliano kill put the Pointers ahead, 23-19.  Following set point, UWW rallied to tie the set at 24-24 and both teams exchanged points until consecutive Warhawks error ended the first set in favor of UWSP.
 
A service ace by Bedessem helped the Pointers crawl back to a 6-6 tie in the second set.  Three-straight kills by Wirkus put UWSP ahead 9-7.  Following a series on UWW miscues, Tara Emme (St. Nazianz, Wis./Valders) recorded a kill to put the Pointers up 17-12.  After leading 19-13, UWW scored 12 of the final 14 points to tie the match at one set apiece.
 
Kills by Magliano and Gehl put UWSP out to a quick 2-0 lead in the third set.  The back-and-forth set saw both teams staying within two points nearly all set.  Magliano dropped back-to-back kills to even the set at 20-20. Down set point, Coleman and Courter hit consecutive kills and a UWW error gave UWSP the set.
 
In the middle of the fourth set, a trio of kills by Majercik and Gehl gave the Pointers a 13-9 advantage.  Magliano recorded a kill to tie the set at 20-all, but UWW scored the final five points to send the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
Carter served up an ace and Wirkus recorded a kill to give UWSP a scant 7-6 edge in the fifth set.  Gehl added three kills to keep the Pointers tight.  Then Courter recorded a kill to avert the first match point, but after a 14-14 tie, the host Warhawks prevailed with the final two points.
 
UWSP will travel to Naperville, Ill., this weekend for a three-match weekend in the CCIW/WIAC Crossover. The Pointers face host North Central at 5:00 p.m. Friday to open the weekend.