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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Stephanie Bandelin
Jade Jensen

Volleyball

Yellowjackets Go 1-1 to Open Bethel Invite

Stephanie Bandelin
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Yellowjacket volleyball team, picked by coaches of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference to finish fourth in the conference in 2015, opened the campaign Friday with a pair of matches at the Bethel Invite in the Twin Cities.

UW-Eau Claire 3, Yellowjackets 0

The Yellowjackets kicked off the weekend against a familiar foe, as they faced off against former conference opponent UW-Eau Claire. And even though the Yellowjackets were in each set, the Blugolds earned the straight-set win, defeating the Yellowjackets 25-22, 25-17, 25-22.

The Yellowjackets jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the opening set and built up a five-point edge at 13-8, but the Blugolds came back, scoring five straight points to tie the match at 13 apiece. The teams traded points and the Yellowjackets again opened up a three-point lead at 18-15, but they couldn't hold on as the Blugolds got on a roll. Eau Claire came all the way back and took a 21-20 lead and held on the rest of the way to take the first set 25-22.

Things remained tight in the second set, as the teams traded several leads early. Eau Claire led by three at 16-13 and then proceeded to go on a 5-0 run to pull away. The Yellowjackets closed to within 23-17 before the Blugolds scored the last two points to close out the set and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Yellowjackets jumped out quickly in the third set in an attempt to get back in the match, taking five of the first six points. But once again Eau Claire came back, scoring six of the next eight points to even the score 7-7. The teams traded the next four points and were sitting at a 9-9 before Eau Claire went on a 5-0 run. They kept the Yellowjackets at bay until a late run closed the gap to two at 24-22. The late rally by the Yellowjackets was a little too late, and Eau Claire scored the final point to win the set 25-22 and the match 3-0.

Stephanie Bandelin (Esko, Minn./Esko) led the Yellowjackets offensively in the first match with 13 kills on 38 attacks. Freshman Bailey Romans (Duluth, Minn./East) had six kills and added six blocks. Emily VerWay (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) led the Yellowjackets with 18 assists. On defense Karlie Leif (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) had 13 digs, while Mackenzie Dahlin (Kaukauna, Wis./Kaukauna) and Jasmine Richardson (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) had eight each.

Yellowjackets 3, St. Olaf 0

In the second match of the day the Yellowjackets picked up their first win of the season, sweeping St. Olaf College in straight sets by scores of 26-24, 25-21, 25-14.

The first set saw each team score in bunches, as the St. Olaf jumped out to a 5-2 lead only to have the Yellowjackets come back and tie it. The teams stayed close, with neither being able to open up more than a three-point lead. Through the course of the first set the teams were tied 14 times, and after the 14th, when the score was 24-24, the Yellowjackets got back-to-back kills from Bandelin and Romans to close out the first set 26-24.

It looked like the second set would mirror the first, as the teams played things tight. The Yellowjackets were able to get the early lead and hold the Oles at bay, eventually building the edge up to five points, 13-8. But St. Olaf would come battling back and eventually grabbed its first lead of the match at 18-17. The made the edge two points, 20-18, before the Yellowjackets went on a late run. The Yellowjackets got kills from Bandelin, Romans, and Leah Nightingale (Dayton, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's), whose second one marked the Yellowjackets seventh point in the final eight chances to close out the second set 25-21.

St. Olaf looked like it was going to extend the match, as they jumped out to a 7-3 lead early in the third set, but an 8-0 run put the Yellowjackets in the lead, a lead they would never give up. The Oles made it interesting, getting back to within a point, but a late 6-0 run salted the game away and the Yellowjackets cruised to a 25-14 win in the final set, taking the match 3-0.

Bandelin had a match-high 11 kills, while Ashlee Bayer (Cameron, Wis./Cameron) added eight. The Yellowjackets got at least one kill from seven different players in the match. VerWay had a strong second match Friday, collecting 26 assists against St. Olaf. Alexis Landherr (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) added three service aces.

On the defensive side, Leif had nine digs to lead the team. Bandelin added seven digs and also had three blocks.

The Yellowjackets (1-1 0-0 UMAC) will be back at it Saturday in day two of the Bethel Invite. They will take on Nebraska Wesleyan beginning at 9:00 a.m., followed by a match with the host Bethel University Royals at 3:00 p.m.
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Players Mentioned

Stephanie Bandelin

#16 Stephanie Bandelin

OH
6' 0"
Senior
Mackenzie Dahlin

#12 Mackenzie Dahlin

DS
5' 7"
Sophomore
Alexis Landherr

#9 Alexis Landherr

RSH
5' 9"
Junior
Leah Nightingale

#22 Leah Nightingale

OH
5' 9"
Sophomore
Emily VerWay

#1 Emily VerWay

S
5' 7"
Freshman
Karlie Leif

#3 Karlie Leif

DS
5' 6"
Freshman
Bailey Romans

#11 Bailey Romans

RSH
6' 4"
Freshman
Jasmine Richardson

#13 Jasmine Richardson

DS
5' 4"
Sophomore
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
Alexis Landherr

#9 Alexis Landherr

5' 9"
Junior
RSH
Leah Nightingale

#22 Leah Nightingale

5' 9"
Sophomore
OH
Emily VerWay

#1 Emily VerWay

5' 7"
Freshman
S
Karlie Leif

#3 Karlie Leif

5' 6"
Freshman
DS
Bailey Romans

#11 Bailey Romans

6' 4"
Freshman
RSH
Jasmine Richardson

#13 Jasmine Richardson

5' 4"
Sophomore
DS
Ashlee Bayer

#18 Ashlee Bayer

5' 10"
Freshman
MH