STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The No. 21 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (8-1, 1-0) took control early in the fourth set in a 3-1 win over UW-Stout (4-6, 0-1) to open league play on Wednesday. 
 
Ashley Kopp (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) led all players with 21 kills. She also had four of the Pointers' 11 service aces on the night. She narrowly missed another double-double with nine digs, tied for the team high with Emma Peterson (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson).
 
Sydney Mosinski (Nevada, Iowa/Nevada) was also in double figures with 10 kills. Grace Michalske (Wausau, Wis./West) had a game-high 36 assists.
 
Kopp posted a pair of aces in a 4-0 run as UWSP went ahead early. Mosinski had a block and two kills as a six-point spurt gave UWSP an 11-6 lead. Kelsie Belfiori (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) served up consecutive aces as UWSP took the first set, 25-15.
 
Kopp and Katie Larson (Hammond, Wis./St. Croix Central) had two kills each early in the second set, but the Blue Devils went ahead 9-6. Kopp had five more kills in the set, but Stout evened the match with a 25-19 win.
 
Mosinski and Kopp combined for five kills in an 8-2 run as UWSP took a 10-6 lead in the third. Kopp and Mady Hanse (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk) had consecutive kills to spark a 10-2 run as UWSP ended the third set with a 25-17 win.
 
UWSP opened the fourth set with an 8-1 lead as Kopp contributed two more aces in the run. Katie Albrecht (West Bend, Wis./East) and Belfiori each had an ace as the lead grew to 15-5. Kopp had three more kills and a late kill by Hanse secured the 25-13 set win to take the match.
 
The Pointers travel to Iowa on Friday (Sept. 16) for a pair of matches at the Loras Invitational. UWSP will play Gustavus Adolphus at 5:00 p.m. before facing host Loras at 7:00 p.m.