RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (8-5) had its highest hitting percentage of the year in a straight-set win over St. Thomas (6-4) and got double-doubles from Ellie Adams (Racine, Wis./William Horlick) and April Gehl (Hilbert, Wis./Hilbert) to beat the College of Saint Benedict (7-4) on day one of the UW-River Falls Invitational.
 
The Pointers were hitting on all cylinders to open the day with a season-high .444 team hitting percentage against the Tommies.  Freshman Maddie Lawson (West Allis, Wis./Nathan Hale) led the way with a .818 hitting percentage and Gehl added a team-high 15 kills.
 
Gehl racked up 18 more kills and led the team with 24 digs in the win over CSB, her eighth double-double of the season.  Adams also had a double-double versus CSB with 37 assists and 16 digs.
 
Hailey Jarr (Bloomer, Wis./Bloomer) added a season-high nine blocks against the Bennies.
 
UWSP 3, UST 0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-17)
Gehl and Jarr combined for three early kills to get UWSP off to a good start.  Later in the first set, Gehl powered back-to-back kills to break a 23-23 tie and give UWSP a 1-0 lead.
 
Freshman Megan Lau (Potter, Wis./Hilbert) had consecutive kills as UWSP used a 7-2 run for a 10-6 advantage in the second set.  The final six points for the Pointers in the set victory came on kills by Rachel Hein (Muskego, Wis./Muskego), Gehl and Jarr.
 
The Pointers hitting barrage continued in the third set.  Tara Emme (St. Nazianz, Wis./Valders), Gehl, Hein, Jarr and Lawson totaled 17 kills for UWSP to complete the sweep.
 
UWSP 3, CSB 1 (18-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15)
The Bennies opened the match with six-straight points before Gehl got her first kill of the match to spark a 3-0 UWSP run.  CSB kept the pressure on and took the first set.
 
After falling behind early in the second set, UWSP put together an 8-0 run capped by five combined kills from Jarr and Gehl for a 16-10 lead.  Hein, Lawson and Gehl tagged four late kills to secure the set.
 
Another 8-0 mid-set run turned the tide for the Pointers in the third set.  Lawson and Gehl had late kills to break a 22-22 tie and give UWSP a 2-1 lead.
 
Lawson had a kill and consecutive aces to give the Pointers a 3-0 lead early in the fourth.  She had another mid-set kill and two late kills to give UWSP a four-set win.
 
The Pointers face Hamline at 10:30 a.m. and St. Catherine at 2:30 p.m. to close out the weekend at the UWRF Invitational.