ST. PAUL, Minn. – Freshman
Lexi Oeltjen (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater Area) posted a career-high 18 kills on 29 swings, powering the UW-Superior volleyball team to a sweep of Macalester Wednesday at the Leonard Center.
Oeltjen registered a .552 attack percentage, also collecting four digs and a block to help UWS even its record to 5-5 on the season. Macalester, which was limited to an .084 attack efficiency fell to 1-9 in the loss.
Three other 'Jackets recorded at least five kills as
Jordyn O'Brien (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) tallied six and
Brylee Colligan (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) and
Hannah Goggleye (Calumet, Minn./Greenway) had five apiece.
Gina Baertsch (Farmington, Minn./Farmington Area) (17 assists) and
Megan Holz (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) directed the Superior offense with 32 of the team's 43 assists on the night. Freshman
Payton Scherber (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville Senior) paced the defensive effort with 11 digs.
The 'Jackets jumped out to an 8-2 advantage in the first set, a stretch that was punctuated by two kills by Oeltjen and one from Goggleye. Macalester crept to within 11-8, but UWS scored six of the next nine points, including three consecutive kills by Oeltjen to push it to a 17-11 advantage. Superior closed out the first set, 25-17.
Down, 5-3, early in the middle stanza, UWS ran off seven straight points to take a 10-5 lead and never looked back. Two Goggleye kills and a Holz service ace highlighted the spurt. Superior led by as many as 12, cruising to a 25-13 victory.
UWS trailed by six at 15-9 midway through the third before blazing a comeback to ensure the sweep. Oeltjen tallied three kills in a four-point span to cut the deficit to 15-13. Then, down, 20-17,
Cami Sletta (Willmar, Minn./Willmar Senior) picked up two of the next three points on kills to tie the set at 20-20.
UWS closed the match with an Oeltjen kill and block from
Teah Roszkowiak (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) and Oeltjen, followed by a Scherber ace for a 25-21 victory.
Zoe Lowe had eight kills to lead Macalester, which feel to UWS for the second time this season.
UWS returns to action Friday and Saturday at the Falcon Invitational at UW-River Falls, where it will meet St. Benedict, Hamline, St. Catherine and host UWRF.
