Skip To Main Content

University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

schedule

Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Emily VerWay
Jade Jensen

Volleyball

Yellowjackets Sweep Finlandia, Rockford

Emily VerWay had 50 assists Friday.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Yellowjacket volleyball team was in the Eastern Time Zone Friday, as they competed in the first day of the Finlandia University Invitational in Hancock, Michigan. And the day was a good one for the Yellowjackets, as they stretched their winning streak to three matches with a pair of 3-0 sweeps.

Yellowjackets 3, Finlandia 0

The Yellowjackets picked up where they left off Wednesday against Northland, building up early leads and making quick work of the Lions in the tournament opener. The Yellowjackets took three of the first four points before the Lions came back and took an 8-7 lead. That's when the Yellowjackets went to work, going on a 6-0 run to regain the advantage and forcing Finlandia to call a timeout. Finlandia took two points coming out of the timeout, but the Yellowjackets answered by winning the next three. The teams then traded 3-0 runs and then swapped single points the rest of the way as the Yellowjackets took the opening set 25-18.

Things was far less drama in the second set, as the Yellowjackets won the first 10 points to build an insurmountable lead. The advantage reached as many as 17 points before the Yellowjackets settled for a 16-point win, 25-9, and a 2-0 lead in the match.

The third set was slightly tighter than the second, but still lacked drama for the most part. The teams battled early, playing to an 8-8 tie before the Yellowjackets went on a 6-0 run to lead 14-8. The Yellowjackets had a second 6-0 run in the set and then won the final five points to take the set 25-12 and the match 3-0.

The Yellowjackets had just 37 kills in the match and had a team attack percentage of .270. Ana Biscaia (Curitiba, Brazil/Colégio Positivo) and Ashlee Bayer (Cameron, Wis./Cameron) each had seven kills to lead the Yellowjackets, marking the first time this season that someone other than Stephanie Bandelin (Esko, Minn./Esko) led the team in kills. Emily VerWay (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) had 23 of the Yellowjackets' 35 assists.

As a team the Yellowjackets posted 50 digs, led by Bandelin and Biscaia who had nine each.

Yellowjackets 3, Rockford 0

In the second match the Yellowjackets kept their collective foot on the gas pedal and quickly swept aside Rockford University. Set scores were 25-12, 25-7, and 25-23.

Rockford moved ahead early in the first set, taking a 3-2 lead. But the Yellowjackets came back and once again the magic number was six. For the fourth time on the day the Yellowjackets had a 6-0 run to lead 8-3. Rockford stopped the bleeding and won two points in a row before the Yellowjackets pulled away for good, winning nine of the next 12 points. Leading 17-8 the Yellowjackets cruised the rest of the way and took a 1-0 lead in the match.

Like the first match of the day the second set provided little drama. The Yellowjackets won 12 of the first 14 points and quickly put away Rockford to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

But Rockford wasn't going to go away quietly. As badly as it was blown out in the second set, Rockford made things interesting in the third. The Yellowajckets jumped out early, leading 4-2 but Rockford battled back and took a 5-4 lead. The score stayed tied or in Rockford's favor until the Yellowjackets went ahead 13-12. The teams then began trading points and neither team had a lead greater than two points. The teams were tied 22-22 before kills from VerWay and Molly Trapp (Esko, Minn./Esko) put the Yellowjackets one point away from victory. Rockford again pulled to within one, but the Yellowjackets closed the set and the match out on a Rockford service error.

Trapp led the Yellowajckets in the match with 11 kills, while Bailey Romans (Duluth, Minn./East) had nine. VerWay had a team-best 27 assists.

On defense Mackenzie Dahlin (Kaukauna, Wis./Kaukauna) had 15 digs, while Bandelin added 12. As a team the Yellowjackets had 47 digs in the match. Trapp led the Yellowjackets with four blocks.

The Yellowjackets (5-2, 0-0 UMAC) will be back in action Saturday in the second day of the Finlandia Invitational. They will take on the Milwaukee School of Engineering at 12:00 p.m. and Northland College, who they defeated at home earlier in the week, at 1:30 p.m.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Stephanie Bandelin

#16 Stephanie Bandelin

OH
6' 0"
Senior
Mackenzie Dahlin

#12 Mackenzie Dahlin

DS
5' 7"
Sophomore
Emily VerWay

#1 Emily VerWay

S
5' 7"
Freshman
Bailey Romans

#11 Bailey Romans

RSH
6' 4"
Freshman
Molly Trapp

#15 Molly Trapp

RSH
6' 6"
Freshman
Ana Biscaia

#17 Ana Biscaia

OH
5' 9"
Freshman
Ashlee Bayer

#18 Ashlee Bayer

MH
5' 10"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Stephanie Bandelin

#16 Stephanie Bandelin

6' 0"
Senior
OH
Mackenzie Dahlin

#12 Mackenzie Dahlin

5' 7"
Sophomore
DS
Emily VerWay

#1 Emily VerWay

5' 7"
Freshman
S
Bailey Romans

#11 Bailey Romans

6' 4"
Freshman
RSH
Molly Trapp

#15 Molly Trapp

6' 6"
Freshman
RSH
Ana Biscaia

#17 Ana Biscaia

5' 9"
Freshman
OH
Ashlee Bayer

#18 Ashlee Bayer

5' 10"
Freshman
MH