Yellowjackets 3, River Falls 0
On Wednesday night, the Yellowjacket volleyball team finally got the chance to play a match at home. True, they were at home in September against Lakehead, but that was an exhibition match. Tonight, the match counted in the conference standings and the Yellowjackets took advantage of the home court. In front of a raucous crowd at Mertz Mortorelli Gym, the Yellowjackets took control early and dismantled UW-River Falls, steamrolling their way through the Falcons in a 3-0 straight-set victory. Set scores were 25-17, 25-21 and 25-15.
With the win, the Yellowjackets snapped a 17-match conference losing skid. Their last win in WIAC play was a 3-1 win over UW-La Crosse on September 18, 2009 at home.
The Yellowjackets jumped out to a commanding lead in the first set and never looked back. In the second set, they led early before falling behind. Finally they went on a run to break the tie and take the set. In the third, it was as dominating a set as they've had all season, in finishing off the sweep and gaining the win.
Sophomore Kitty Tynen (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) (Stillwater, Minn.) was a powerhouse offensively for the Yellowjackets, leading the way with 14 kills and an attack percentage of .462. Right behind her was Salann Gilbert (Solon Springs, Wis./Solon Springs) (Solon Springs, Wis.) with ten kills. Overall, the Yellowjackets attacked at a percentage of .292, well above their season average. Freshman Keely Deadrick (Esko, Minn./Esko) (Esko, Minn.) had a season-high 42 set assists and also led the team in service aces, picking up three of the team's five on the night.
On defense, Tynen had a team-high ten digs. Farrah Wirtz (Esko, Minn./Esko) (Esko, Minn.) and Erin Booth (Baldwin, Wis./Baldwin-Woodville) (Baldwin, Wis.) had eight and seven digs respectively. The Yellowjackets had five blocks in the match. Deadrick had the lone solo block, while Nikki Gosson (Mankato, Minn./Mankato East) (Mankato, Minn.) had three block assists.
The Yellowjackets (11-8, 1-2 WIAC) hit the road for a conference match at UW-Oshkosh on Friday, October 7. Play starts at 7:00 p.m.
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