STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Sophomore April Gehl (Hilbert, Wis./Hilbert) tied a career-high with 15 kills as the UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (7-2) rallied from a set deficit to beat No. 12 Millikin in four sets to close out the UW-Stevens Point Invitational on Saturday.  Earlier in the day, the Pointers took the first set, but dropped a four set decision to No. 20 Gustavus Adolphus.
 
Gehl had double-figure kills in both matches on the day, topping the Pointers in both contests.  She also combined for 10 blocks on the day.
 
Senior Morgan Wirkus (Marathon, Wis./Marathon) recorded a double-double against Millikin with 12 kills and 11 digs.  She added 13 digs against Gustavus Adolphus in the opener. 
 
Fellow senior Delaney McCreary (West Bend, Wis./East) racked up double digit assists in both match for UWSP.  Freshman setter Ellie Adams (Racine, Wis./William Horlick) made her first career start against Millikin and added 14 assists in the win.


 
UWSP 1, #20 GAC 3 (25-11, 12-25, 10-25, 20-25)
The Pointers came out of the gates blazing in the opening set of the day.  A trio of kills by Gehl aided the Pointers in taking a 9-2 advantage.  Kills by Wirkus, McCreary and senior Danielle Coleman (Rockford, Ill./Keith Country Day) helped build the lead to 16-4.  Sophomore Lisa Bedessem (Burlington, Wis./Sauk Prairie) put the finishing touches on the set win with a kill of her own.
 
The Gusties opened with a five-point run in set two to set the tone for the remainder of the match.  Gehl had two of the four UWSP kills in the set.  The third set was virtually a mirror image of the second with GAC jumping in front 5-0.  Gehl and Kelly Magliano (Chicago, Ill./Mount Assisi Academy) had two kills each to account for the UWSP total in the set.
 
Gehl and Wirkus traded kills as the Pointers stayed close for much of the fourth set.  A three-point run by the Pointers closed the gap to 17-16, but the Gusties were too much down the stretch as GAC closed out the win.
 
UWSP 3, #12 Millikin 1 (13-25, 25-13, 25-18, 27-25)
The second match of the day started ominously for the Pointers, who trailed 9-2 early.  Sophomore Tara Emme (St. Nazianz, Wis./Valders) added the first of six kills in the match, but the deficit was too much to overcome.
 
Wirkus began the second set with an ace, one of five she had in a 12-point burst to open the set.  Gehl had a trio of kills as the Pointers cruised to the set win to tie the match.
 
Gehl sandwiched five Big Blue miscues with kills as UWSP opened an 8-1 lead in the third set.  Wirkus clobbered a couple kills to end a mini run by Millikin to maintain a 14-8 advantage.  Magliano added a pair of kills and Emme finished the set with three of the final four UWSP points.
 
Another set-opening ace by Wirkus set the pace in the fourth set.  Sophomore Maddie Courter (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) added a pair of aces as UWSP went up 9-1.  Five late set kills by WIrkus put the Pointers within a sniff of the upset at 24-17.  The Big Blue reeled off eight-straight points to pull ahead 25-24.  But a pair errors and a Gehl kill ended the match in favor of UWSP.
 
The Pointers hit the road for the next 10 matches, starting with the Oshkosh Quad on Wednesday.  UWSP will play Lawrence and St. Norbert on Wednesday in Oshkosh.