SUPERIOR, Wis. - It took 15 months, but the Yellowjacket volleyball team finally got its chance to return to action Saturday, when it hosted Northland College in a non-conference match. You have to go back to November 2019 and the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference tournament to find the last time the Yellowjackets took on outside competition. Sure, there were a handful of intrasquad matches in the fall, but this time the 'Jackets got the chance to see where they stack up against one of their UMAC opponents.

It's safe to say they like what they saw.

The 'Jackets convincingly took the first two sets of the match before rallying to take the third and complete the sweep of the Lumberjills, 3-0 at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.

Sophomore Cassy Teff (Foley, Minn./Foley) led a balanced Yellowjacket attack with nine kills, while newcomer Alexie Pryd (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) contributed eight kils and tied for the team lead in digs with 18.

Things were tight early in the opening set, as the teams went back and forth. It wasn't until late that the Yellowjackets would pull away. Up 13-11, the Yellowjackets went on a 12-3 run to close out the frame with a 25-14 win. Pryd was on the service line for the last six points in the set.

The second set again started with some back-and-forth between the teams, but again the Yellowjackets went on a run to blow the match open. Leading 6-4, the 'Jackets won a point on a rotation and Elise Ertl (Phillips, Wis./Phillips) followed by serving the Yellowjackets to six straight points to put them up nine at 13-4. Northland went on a run of its own to close the gap to 15-12, but the Yellowjackets got those points right back. Jordyn O'Brien (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) and Teff had kills as the 'Jackets pushed the lead to 20-12. The teams would trade the next 10 points, with Kielan LaPlante (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) getting the final kill, giving the Yellowjackets the set 25-17 and a 2-0 lead in the match.

Northland made it interesting in the third set, opening up a 12-4 lead early. The Yellowjackets chipped away, and eventually drew even when a LaPlante kill made it 16-16. A few points later a kill by Teff put the Yellowjackets in front for good and they would go on to take the set 25-21 and the match 3-0.

LaPlante finished her first match as a Yellowjacket with six kills. Setter Megan Holz (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) had 20 assists. Libero Hailey Atwood (Big Lake, Minn./Big Lake) tied for the team lead with 18 digs.

The Yellowjackets return to action Wednesday, March 3 when they play the second of the home-and-home series with Northland. The opening serve is set for 7:00 p.m. in Ashland, Wis.

UW-Superior and Yellowjacket Athletics will follow the COVID-19 safety guidelines and protocols recommended by the Douglas County Health Department. To conduct our events in the safest manner possible, spectators will not be permitted at UW-Superior home athletic events. Fans can follow the Yellowjackets through our online content provider, the iFan Sports Network. Fans can also listen to contests live on the radio home of Yellowjacket sports, 91.3 KUWS.