The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's volleyball team hit the road Wednesday night to play UW-Stevens Point to start its Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference slate.
 
The Warhawks (10-2, 1-0) opened conference play with a 25-22, 15-25, 25-21, 25-18 victory.
 
In the first set the Warhawks jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and battled back and forth with the Pointers throughout the set.  Stevens Point closed in at the end with a 5-0 run to cut the Warhawk advantage to 24-22, but freshman outside hitter Erin McNeil (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) provided a decisive kill to claim the first set.  UW-Stevens Point maintained their momentum heading into the second set with an early 5-1 lead and the Warhawks struggled to overcome their deficit.   The Pointers controlled the second set from start to finish 25-15. 

The Pointers started out with a 4-2 lead in the third set before the Warhawks struck back with a 7-1 run of their own to grab the advantage.  UW-Stevens Point closed in before another Warhawk 5-1 run left the set at 17-11, and the Warhawks rode their advantage to a 25-21 victory.  The teams continued to jostle back and forth in the fourth set, the Pointers coming out to a 10-8 lead partway through.  The Warhawks stormed back with a 12-3 run to take command of the set and the match.
 
McNeil led all Warhawks with 10 kills and added five digs and two blocks.  Senior middle hitter Kelley Berk (Cedarburg, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) posted an impressive eight blocks on the evening to go along with six kills on a .357 hitting percentage.  Freshman outside hitter Emily Gillen (Richfield, Wis./Slinger) added in a career-high five blocks, and junior middle hitter Ashton Doll (Lancaster, Wis./Lancaster) tallied eight kills and three blocks. Junior outside hitter Rachel Butterfield (Milton, Wis./Milton) contributed seven kills, and freshman outside hitter Emma Aske (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) registered six kills and seven digs.
 
Freshman setters KellyAnn Sotiros (New Berlin, Wis./West Allis Hale) and Paige Manssen (Bull Valley, Ill./McHenry West) led the Warhawks with 22 and 17 assists, respectively, while Sotiros added 16 digs and two service aces for her fourth double-double of the season.  Senior libero Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) led the squad with 17 digs to go along with five assists, while junior defensive specialist Elizabeth Tworek (Lake Zurich, Ill./Carmel Catholic) posted 10 digs.
 
UW-Whitewater continues conference play next Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Williams Center against UW-Oshkosh.