ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Fourth-ranked Northwestern handed the UW-Superior volleyball team its first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference loss of the season in straight sets at the Ericksen Center on Saturday.
 
The Yellowjackets challenged for the second set, holding a 21-20 advantage, fought off a pair of set points and had one of their own before the Eagles (16-2, 6-0 UMAC) won the stanza, 27-25. UNW, which hit .336 in the match, took the first and third sets, 25-14, respectively, to complete the sweep.
 
Seniors Cassy Teff (Foley, Minn./Foley) and Alexie Pryd (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) tallied seven kills apiece to pace the Yellowjackets' (10-9, 6-1) offense. Freshman Marena Saeger (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) contributed six kills. Teff and freshman Colleen Claude (Centuria, Wis./Homeschool) had each tallied 12 assists, while sophomore Jenna Anderson (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) led all players with 16 digs.
 
The Eagles posted 49 kills on 116 total attacks with just 10 errors in the match, hitting .457 in the first and .400 third set. UWS hit .117 from the floor with 29 kills and 16 errors in 111 attempts.
 
Abby Glanzer recorded a double-double of a match-high 14 kills to go with 15 digs for Northwestern. Grace Strickfaden (17) and Felicia Luther (15) directed the UNW offense with 32 of the team's 45 assists.
 
Superior rallied from a 9-5 deficit in the second set to take an 11-9 advantage, forcing an Eagles' timeout. The run featured a pair of block assists from freshman Ella Kapus (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine), two kills by sophomore Maiana Stark (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) as well as one from Saeger. UNW rebounded to for a 12-12 tie prior to another Saeger kill gave the 'Jackets a 15-13 edge.
 
A Saeger kill at 20-all put UWS in front as the Eagles used a 4-1 run to take a 24-22 lead into the 'Jackets' second timeout of the game.
 
A Kaylin Plautz (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) kill, Glanzer error and Hailey Atwood (Big Lake, Minn./Big Lake) service ace set up game point for UWS at 25-24. Northwestern, though, reeled off three consecutive points out of a timeout to claim the set.
 
The Yellowjackets are back in action Tuesday at 7 p.m., hosting Northland at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium.