SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Yellowjacket volleyball team was swept on its home court by Northwestern, then the No. 4 ranked team in the nation, Sept. 29.
 
Since that time, all the Yellowjackets have done is win, and win big. Over the last three weeks the Yellowjackets have won six matches in a row and have only dropped two sets along the way. The streak faced its toughest test Saturday afternoon, as the Yellowjackets traveled to St. Paul and the Eriksen Center for a matinee with the Northwestern.
 
The Eagles, coming off a five-set, non-conference loss Friday to St. Olaf, were still the No. 4-ranked team in NCAA Division III, and they played the role to a tee Saturday. Northwestern used long runs in each set on the way to a 3-0 win over the Yellowjackets.
 
With the loss, the Yellowjackets now sit three games behind Northwestern in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) standings. The Yellowjackets (15-8, 7-3 UMAC) are two games behind second-place Minnesota Morris and a half game ahead of fourth-place Martin Luther.
 
The Yellowjackets hung tough early in the opening set, pulling to within two at 6-4 on a kill by Ayla Oltmanns (Gilbert, Minn./Duluth East). From there it was all Eagles, however. Northwestern rattled off nine straight points during one stretch to build a big lead and cruised to a 25-11 win to lead the match 1-0.
 
In the second set, the Yellowjackets again fell behind early, but rallied behind a kill from Maiana Stark (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) and a rare Northwestern error to take a 6-5 lead. The teams traded points, and the Yellowjackets kept it close, trailing by just one at 11-10. But once again, Northwestern got hot at the right time and went on a scoring run. The Eagles went on a 9-3 run to close the set, winning 25-17 to build a 2-0 lead.
 
Unfortunately for the Yellowjackets, the third set followed a similar pattern as the first two. The teams were close early, with the Yellowjackets taking their first lead of the set, 5-4, on a kill by Kaylin Plautz (Elk River, Minn./Elk River). The 'Jackets also had a lead of 7-6, but that would be it for the set. Northwestern would build a small cushion, only to have the Yellowjackets fight back. UWS moved to within one late, 18-19, but then Northwestern put the hammer down to finish it off. The Eagles took six of the final eight points to win the set 25-20 and the match 3-0.
 
Despite getting better with every set, generating offense was tough for the Yellowjackets Saturday, as the team attacked at a clip of .082. Emma Crandell (Forest Lake, Minn./Homeschool) led the charge with six kills, while Plautz and Stark turned in five apiece. Lizzy Schmidt (Twin Lakes, Wis./Wilmot Union) let the Yellowjackets with 11 assists, while Colleen Claude (Centuria, Wis./Homeschool) turned in nine.
 
The Yellowjackets had a balanced defense, with 10 different players registering at least one dig, led by Jenna Anderson (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) who had 18. She was the only Yellowjacket to reach double figures. Plautz, Crandell and Sydney Smith (Milltown, Wis./Unity) each had a block.
 
Next up for the Yellowjackets is a road match at Hamline Tuesday. The opening serve is set for 7 p.m. at Hutton Arena in St. Paul.