STEVENS POINT, Wis. - The Elmhurst volleyball team opened play at the UW-Stevens Point Tournament with a pair of victories. 

Elmhurst (6-8) dispatched UW-La Crosse in four sets to start the day and then closed with a three-set sweep of the tournament host Pointers. 

ELMHURST 3, UW-La CROSSE 1 - Elmhurst snapped a three-game slide with a 25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 25-23 win over UW-La Crosse. 

Elmhurst jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the opening set and never trailed as UW-La Crosse came no closer than four points as the Bluejays pulled away for the 25-21 win in the first. With the score even at 11-11 in the second, the Bluejays used an 8-2 run to open up a six-point cushion at 19-13 before coasting to the 25-19 win. 

UW-La Crosse never trailed in the third, racing out to an early lead before cruising to the 25-19 win. Elmhurst grabbed an early lead in the fourth set and built a 23-18 cushion before four straight points pulled UW-La Crosse to within a point. Leading 24-23, the Bluejays put the match away with a kill from Taylor Zurliene. 

Elmhurst hit .151 for the match with 48 kills and 22 errors in 172 attacks. Bailey Brouwer powered the Bluejays in the win with 17 kills and 10 digs. Zurliene added nine kills and 16 digs while Payton Froats contributed eight kills. Emily Duis totaled seven kills and four blocks while Kayla Mast tallied seven kills. Valerie Thomas led the team in digs with 20 while also serving up four assists. Kelly Townsend led the team in assists with 22 while Katie Davis finished with 17.

ELMHURST 3, UW-STEVENS POINT 0 - Elmhurst won its second straight match, knocking off UW-Stevens Point 25-23, 25-20, 28-26. 

Elmhurst trailed 17-15 in the first set before the Bluejays used an 8-2 run to open up a 23-19 lead. The Pointers surged back, fighting off three straight set points to close to within one at 24-23, but a kill from Brouwer gave the Bluejays the first set at 25-23. 

Tied at 10-10 in the second, the Bluejays won eight of the next 11 points to build an 18-13 lead. Elmhurst pushed its lead up to seven points at 24-17 before putting the set away at 25-20 following a kill from Brouwer. 

UW-Stevens Point raced out to a 16-8 lead in the third set and led 21-14 before Elmhurst roared back. The Bluejays ripped of five straight points to pull to within two at 21-19. Back-to-back points gave the Pointers a 23-19 lead, but Elmhurst responded with five straight points to set up a match point. UW-Stevens Point fought off the match points and had two chances to win the set, but Elmhurst evened the match at 26-all. The Bluejays won the final two points to take the set and the match. 

Elmhurst hit .231 for the contest with 42 kills and 17 errors in 108 swings. Zurliene led the squad with 11 kills while Brouwer finished with 10. Duis tallied seven kills while Mast finished with six. Townsend tallied 19 assists while Davis finished with 14. Valerie Thomas led the squad in digs with 18. 

Elmhurst closes out the tournament by taking on Coe College tomorrow (September 22).