SUPERIOR, Wis.: Friday marked the first day of the 2018 Stinger Classic, and fans couldn't have asked for a better day on the court from the Yellowjacket volleyball team. The day started with a clean sweep of Marian in the first match of the day, followed by a five-set thriller against Hamline to close things out.
Yellowjackets 3, Marian 0
The Sabres were late arriving in Superior, having their team bus held up at a railroad crossing, and they had a hard time finding their footing on the court against the Yellowjackets, who steamrolled their way over Marian in the opener.
In the opening set the Yellowjackets led from wire-to-wire, save for a brief tie at 8-8.
Hannah Goggleye (Calumet, Minn./Greenway) broke that tie with her first kill of the match, leading to four consecutive points for the home team. The lead reached six at 19-13 before Marian called timeout. Whatever was said during the 75-second break worked, as the Sabres won five of the next six points to make things interesting. Goggleye again came to the rescue, however, stopping the bleeding with a kill and getting the Yellowjackets back on track. Marian wouldn't get any closer and the Yellowjackets took the opening set 25-20.
The Sabres jumped out to an early lead in the second set, only to see it quickly get erased on consecutive kills by
Anna Ribich (Biwabik, Minn./Mesabi East) and
Cami Sletta (Willmar, Minn./Willmar). Marian regained the lead, only to see the Yellowjackets surge ahead, winning eight straight points with
Doranna Blascyk (Hoffman, Minn./West Central Area) serving to put the Yellowjackets up 14-7. The Sabres didn't go away quietly, though, and followed the Yellowjacket run with a six-point run of their own, pulling to within one at 14-13. The Yellowjackets called timeout and the reset restored order, as the Yellowjackets took 11 of the next 13 points to take the set and earn a 2-0 lead in the match.
It was all Yellowjackets in the third set after a close start. Up 5-4 the Yellowjackets took four of the next five points to pull away. The Sabres never got closer than four points the rest of the way, and it was only fitting that Goggleye provided the final point, a kill, to give the Yellowjackets a 25-19 win in the set and a 3-0 sweep.
Brylee Colligan (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) led the Yellowjackets with nine kills, while Goggleye,
Taylor Howe (Webster, Wis./Webster), and Ashlee Bbayer all had eight. The Yellowjackets attacked at a .217 clip in the match. Three Yellowjackets hit double figures in digs, led by
Karlie Leif (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji), who was spectacular defensively throughout. She finished the match with 17 digs.
Yellowjackets 3, Hamline 2
The second match of the day for the Yellowjackets was another thriller, but for a completely different reason. After taking the first two sets from unbeaten Hamline, the Yellowjackets were on the cusp of another sweep. Up 24-20 in the third set, the Yellowjackets were ready to close the match out when the Pipers rallied, winning six straight points to steal the set and all the momentum, serving notice that this match was far from over.
The Yellowjackets fell behind early in the first set but went on a 5-0 run to take an 11-9 lead. The Pipers regained the lead, only to see the Yellowjackets follow suit. Up 15-14, the Yellowjackets went on a tear, riding the hot serving of Colligan to a 22-14 edge. Howe would end the set with a kill as the Yellowjackets went up 1-0 thanks to a 25-16 opening set victory.
Everyone thinking the Yellowjackets could put it on cruise control in the second set was sorely mistaken, as the Pipers came out hitting and built the early lead. Down 12-7 the Yellowjackets called timeout, and like earlier in the day, the break proved beneficial, at least for a short time, as the Yellowjackets won three straight points to close the gap to two. Hamline answered with a surge of its own, winning four in a row to move ahead 16-10. Colligan then moved to the service line, and was nearly unstoppable again, helping the Yellowjackets to eight straight points and a lead, 18-10. The teams went back and forth some more, but the Yellowjackets got the job done, with back-to-back kills from Howe and Bayer to make the final margin 29-27.
Bayer was on fire in the second with 10 kills through two sets.
The teams went back-and-forth for much of the third set before the Yellowjackets gained separation, breaking a 20-20 tie to reach set point. A match-saving dig by the Pipers provided them with all the energy they would need to go on a run, win the set, and pull back into the match.
The Yellowjackets never led in the fourth set, but it was also never out of reach. Every time the Pipers built a lead, the Yellowjackets would battle back. With the score tied 7-7, Hamline went on a 7-0 run to build a lead, only to see the Yellowjackets answer with a five-point run. The Yellowjackets eventually tied it at 16-16, 18-18, 20-20, and 22-22, but that's as close as they'd get and the Pipers took the set 25-23, setting the stage for a thrilling fifth.
Like a pair of prize fighters, the teams traded punches early. Hamline was the first to gain separation, moving ahead 6-3, but the Yellowjackets countered. With the score deadlocked 11-11, the Yellowjackets got an ace from Colligan and back-to-back kills from Howe to reach match point. The Pipers answered and made it a 14-13 game before Sletta got the kill to seal the set and the match.
Bayer finished the match with 19 kills, followed by Howe with 18. Sletta and Goggleye also hit double digits with 13 and 10, respectively.
Emily VerWay (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) had a monster match, coming in with 65 assists, a career high. She also added 15 digs, third for the match behind Colligan (23) and the defensive star, Leif, who had 29.
Up Next: The Yellowjackets (4-3, 0-0 U.M.A.C.) will look to stretch their winning streak to four on day two of the Stinger Classic Saturday. They play an exhibition game against Lakehead University of Thunder Bay, Ontario at 11:00 a.m. before a rematch against Marian at 1:00 p.m.
