SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (28-9) forced a fifth set, but saw its tremendous run come to an end as the College of Saint Benedict (26-5) prevailed to advance.
 
Senior April Gehl (Hilbert, Wis./Hilbert) had a game-high 30 kills, her fourth match of the year with at least 30 kills.  She had a double-double with 25 digs.
 
Junior Ellie Adams (Racine, Wis./William Horlick) also racked up a double-double with a game-high 56 assists and 11 digs.  Emma Peterson (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson) and Kelsie Belfiori (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) tied for the team-lead with 26 digs each.
 
Megan Lau (Potter, Wis./Hilbert) added 12 kills and Hailey Jarr (Bloomer, Wis./Bloomer) had a season-high 11 kills.  Jarr and Maddie Lawson (West Allis, Wis./Nathan Hale) each had five blocks for UWSP.
 
Jarr had four kills in the middle of the first set as UWSP opened up a 19-14 lead.  The Bennies put up an 8-1 run, but consecutive points on a kill and a block by Lawson tied the set at 23-all.  Gehl powered a kill to avoid the first set point, but back-to-back blocks gave CSB a 26-24 win in set one.
 
Gehl sandwiched a 4-0 run as UWSP tied the second set at 6-6, but CSB used a 16-4 run to pull away for a two set lead, 25-14.
 
Gehl had five early kills as UWSP roared out to a 16-4 lead in the third set.  The Bennies rallied to within four, but Kills by Gehl, Lau and Adams helped the Pointers to a 25-18 set win.
 
UWSP fell behind 21-15 in the fourth set.  Kills by Lau, Jarr and Gehl got the Pointers within 21-20.  Gehl tied the set at 23-23 with a kill and UWSP forced the fifth set with three straight to win, 25-23.
 
Gehl had four kills and a block as UWSP and CSB tied 7-7 in the fifth.  Fellow senior Tara Emme (St. Nazianz, Wis./Valders) had two kills, but the Bennie scored eight of the final 11 points to win the match.
 
Gehl, the AVCA Midwest Region and WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, ends her remarkable career as the all-time leader in program history with 1,900 kills.  Her 675 this season are a single-season program record and the second-highest single season total in WIAC history.