AURORA, Ill. – The No. 21 UW-Stevens Point volleyball team (1-2) ended opening weekend with a win over host Aurora (2-2) to earn a split on Saturday at the Aurora Tournament. UWSP dropped its first match of the day to eventual tournament champion Southwestern (3-0). UWSP's Ashley Kopp (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) was named to the all-tournament team.
 
Kopp led all players in kills in both matches with 13 against SU and 15 versus Aurora. Carly Thomka (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) set a career-high with seven blocks against the Spartans.
 
Grace Michalske (Wausau, Wis./West) led the Pointers in assists in both matches with 15 and 18 on the day. Meredith Milz (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) added 12 and nine assists.
 
UWSP 0, Southwestern 3 (12-25, 19-25, 21-25)
Thomka served an ace to give UWSP a brief 2-1 edge in the first. Sydney Mosinski (Nevada, Iowa/Nevada) had a pair of blocks to keep the Pointers close at 6-7. Kopp had three kills late, but a 12-2 run by SU was too much to overcome.
 
Lauren Shaw (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) served an ace to open the second set, UWSP's only lead of the set at 1-0. Kopp added four kills as UWSP attempted to keep pace with the Pirates. Thomka had a block and two kills late as UWSP fell into a 2-0 hole.
 
Ella Trieloff (Park Ridge, Ill./St. Viator) recorded two kills early as the Pointers battled back for a 6-6 tie. Zoe Kramer (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) had two kills in a 7-2 UWSP run for a 14-11 lead. Shaw had a block and a kill, but SU closed the set and the match with a 6-0 run.
 
UWSP 3, Aurora 0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-22)
Kopp had three kills, two aces and a block as UWSP opened up with a 10-5 lead. Addison Miller (Davenport, Iowa/North) registered a pair of kills and Kopp closed out the opening set win with a kill.
 
Thomka and Kramer had a kill each and combined on a block in a 4-0 burst that put the Pointers up 10-6. A late ace by Thomka and five kills from Kopp sealed a second-set victory.
 
Kopp began the third with three kills and a block for a 6-3 advantage. Thomka had two blocks and a kill as UWSP regained the lead late, 22-21. Kopp posted two kills in a 3-0 run to seal the sweep.
 
The Pointers return home to host Lakeland and St. Norbert in the home opener on Wednesday (Sept. 4) in the WIAC/MWC Quad. First serve in Berg Gym is slated for 5:30 p.m.