Skip To Main Content

University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

schedule

Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Stephanie Bandelin
Yellowjacket Athletics

Volleyball

Yellowjackets Grind Out Win in UMAC Opener

Stephanie Bandelin had 19 kills in Saturday's win over Martin Luther.
Box Score

Yellowjackets 3, Martin Luther 0

The Yellowjacket volleyball team made history Saturday afternoon at Mertz Mortorelli Gym. With the Martin Luther College Knights in town, the Yellowjackets were competing in their first-ever Upper Midwest Athletic Conference match. And on the day of the history-making match the Yellowjackets also added their first-ever UMAC victory.

But it wasn't easy.

Despite entering the day with a 1-14 record, Martin Luther gave the Yellowjackets all they could handle. In the end the Yellowjackets were able to grind out a win, finishing off the pesky Knights in straight sets, 25-18, 26-24, 25-13.

The Yellowjackets started quickly in the opening set, winning the first two points and building up a 10-point lead, 16-6. But what looked to be an easy win in the opening set turned out to be anything but, as the Knights refused to go away quietly. The Yellowjacket lead stayed at 10, 19-9, before Martin Luther began to claw its way back into the set. A 5-1 run brought the Knights back to within five at 22-17. That's when the team captains teamed up to close out the set. Alexis Landherr (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) made it 23-18 with a kill, then gave the Yellowjackets set points with a service ace. They went up 1-0 in the match when Stephanie Bandelin (Esko, Minn./Esko) picked up one of her 19 kills in the match to close out the first set.

Martin Luther made things tough on the Yellowjackets in the second set. The Knights were rolling early and went ahead 7-3. The Yellowjackets called a time out, but the Knights took the first point out of the break to lead by five. The Yellowjackets began to work their way back into the set, but couldn't get even as the Knights held them at bay. That changed when a pair of kills from Bandelin were sandwiched around a pair of errors on the Knights, giving the Yellowjackets a 19-17 lead. The teams traded points and the Yellowjackets were on the verge of victory, but the Knights battled back and tied things at 24-24. An error by Martin Luther put the Yellowjackets at set point, and Bandelin finished it with a kill, putting the Yellowjackets up 2-0.

In the third set the Yellowjackets again fell behind early, trailing by as many as three points, before they ramped up their game and closed out the match. Down 6-3 the Yellowjackets battled back to tie it, then took their first lead of the set at 11-10. From there they cruised. Fueled by a 10-1 run the Yellowjackets pulled away from the Knights and won 14 of the final 17 points to close out the match.

Besides Bandelin's 19, the Yellowjackets didn't have anyone else with double-digit kills. The next closest Yellowjacket was Molly Trapp (Esko, Minn./Esko) with five. Bandelin also led the Yellowjackets with a .391 attack percentage, committing just one error in the match. Emily VerWay (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) had 36 of the Yellowjackets' 37 assists. On defense VerWay led the Yellowjackets with 10 digs, followed by Karlie Leif (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) with eight.

Jade St. Germaine had 12 kills to lead Martin Luther. Heidi Moldenhauer had 32 assists and Megan Lemke had 12 digs to lead the Knights.

The Yellowjackets (10-6, 1-0 UMAC) will be back in UMAC play Tuesday, September 29 when they travel to Northland College. It will be the third time this season the Yellowjackets and Lumberjills have met, with the Yellowjackets winning the previous two meetings. Game time from Ashland, Wisconsin is set for 7:00 p.m.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Stephanie Bandelin

#16 Stephanie Bandelin

OH
6' 0"
Senior
Alexis Landherr

#9 Alexis Landherr

RSH
5' 9"
Junior
Emily VerWay

#1 Emily VerWay

S
5' 7"
Freshman
Karlie Leif

#3 Karlie Leif

DS
5' 6"
Freshman
Molly Trapp

#15 Molly Trapp

RSH
6' 6"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Stephanie Bandelin

#16 Stephanie Bandelin

6' 0"
Senior
OH
Alexis Landherr

#9 Alexis Landherr

5' 9"
Junior
RSH
Emily VerWay

#1 Emily VerWay

5' 7"
Freshman
S
Karlie Leif

#3 Karlie Leif

5' 6"
Freshman
DS
Molly Trapp

#15 Molly Trapp

6' 6"
Freshman
RSH