SUPERIOR, Wis. – The UW-Superior volleyball team improved to 5-0 on the season with a 3-0 sweep of Crown at Mertz Mortorelli Gym in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference action Saturday.
 
With the win – their third in UMAC play – the Yellowjackets continue their best start since 2012 when they began the season 7-0. 
 
UWS took care of business in just 72 minutes, winning 25-15, 25-20 and 25-12. Sophomore Alexie Pryd (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) posted her third consecutive double-double with 16 kills and 18 digs, hitting .469, against the Storm. Freshman Savanna Renderman (Altoona, Wis./Altoona) added 10 kills, two digs and a solo block in support, while hitting .421 herself. Sophomore Hailey Atwood (Big Lake, Minn./Big Lake) contributed 14 digs, as well. Cassy Teff (Foley, Minn./Foley), Megan Holz (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) and Pryd served up two aces apiece. Holz totaled 34 assists.
 
UWS hit .245 as a team with 39 kills and 13 errors in 106 attacks compared to .065 for Crown (23-16-107).
 
The teams traded points to 14-12 in the first set before Superior won four straight on three Crown errors sandwiched by a Holz ace to make it 18-12. At 18-13, the 'Jackets went on a 4-0 run, punctuated by a Jordyn O'Brien (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) kill that made it 22-13. Teff closed the set with ace in front of Crown's Madison Timm.
 
Down, 19-18, in the second set, the 'Jackets used a 7-1 run to earn the set victory to take a 2-0 lead in the match. It was all Pryd and Renderman in the stretch as Pryd came up with a kill and ace and Renderman had three kills.
 
UWS jumped out to an 8-2 advantage in the third set, pushing it to 16-6 on a Renderman kill and Crown error. Kills by Kaylin Plautz (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and Pryd made it 19-8. Kielan LaPlante (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) ended the match 10 points later on a kill from Holz.
 
Crown, which was led by Sara Braland with seven kills and Gracie Zieroth with 11 digs, respectively, fell to 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the UMAC.
 
Superior returns to action Thursday at St. Scholastica. First serve at Reif Gym is set for 7 p.m.