SUPERIOR, Wis. -- The UW-Superior volleyball team posted its second highest hitting percentage of the season on its way to a sweep of North Central in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference action at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium on Friday.
 
The Yellowjackets took to just an hour to improve to 14-9 overall and 10-1 in the league after honoring their three seniors -- Hailey Atwood (Big Lake, Minn./Big Lake), Alexie Pryd (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) and Cassy Teff (Foley, Minn./Foley) -- in a pre-match ceremony. UWS, which won, 25-21, 25-12, 25-9, went on to hit .316 from the floor with 39 kills and eight errors in 98 total attacks. UWS posted its best hitting effort of the year against Crown on Oct. 1 at .326.
 
The victory Friday ensures UWS home court in the UMAC semifinals on Nov. 2.
 
Pryd had registered a match-best 12 kills, while junior Kaylin Plautz (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) added eight and Teff chipped in seven. Plautz was a force at the net with five of Superior's 14 block assists, as well.
 
Sophomore Jenna Anderson (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) scooped a match-high 14 digs while she and Atwood had two service aces apiece.
 
After dropping the first two points on the match, UWS rallied for a 9-3 advantage. The run closed with five consecutive points on two Plautz kills, one from Pryd, a block by Plautz and Teff and Atwood ace. Plautz and Marena Saeger (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) combined for a block to make it 15-8. Later, three in a row by UWS gave it set point, but North Central rallied with five straight of its own to cut the deficit to 24-21. Sophomore Maiana Stark (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) put the set away with a kill, assisted by Teff.
 
The 'Jackets hit .394 in the second set with 14 kills, using a 9-1 run to take a 22-10 lead. Stark, Pryd, Plautz and Teff all contributed kills in the stretch. Another Pryd kill and a Teff ace gave Superior set point, and the 'Jackets won it two points later.
 
The 'Jackets jumped out to a 15-3 edge in the third set and didn't look back in wrapping up the match. They hit .400 in the final set with 14 kills and just two errors in 30 attacks.
 
North Central (14-9, 4-7) was held to .009 on attack with 26 kills and 25 errors in 111 swings on the night. Makayka Krohnberg and Cara Pence had eight kills each and Krohnberg added 12 digs to pace the Rams.
 
UWS closes its regular-season home slate Saturday at 1 p.m., hosting fifth-raned Northwestern.