SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Yellowjacket volleyball team took the court Friday evening, facing the Cougars of Minnesota Morris. The 'Jackets entered the evening in possession of the third seed, trailing the now regionally ranked Eagles of Northwestern and the Cougars.
 
As the 'Jackets begin to conclude the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season, each win is crucial for playoff seeding. As UW-Superior students entered Mertz Mortorelli Gym dawning pink on Swarm Night, the Yellowjackets were poised to secure another UMAC victory.
 
Minnesota Morris had other plans. After Laura Wellbrock, McKenzie Newton and Ava Brunn strung together strong performances, they were able to lead the charge and defeat the Yellowjackets 3-1.
 
The opening set began with both teams exchanging points early. The Yellowjackets were able to earn a 6-5 lead, but Tori Scheler registered three straight kills and helped guide the Cougar momentum past UWS. Kills from juniors Emma Crandell (Forest Lake, Minn./Homeschool) and Maiana Stark (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) aided the charge and brought the match back to a 13-13 draw. Minnesota Morris capitalized on Yellowjacket mishaps and jumped out to a 22-17 lead. It was senior Kaylin Plautz (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) who started the rally and came out in front 24-22. The Yellowjackets would register a kill, but a late net foul was called by the officials, prompting a point to the Cougars. This bad break for the Yellowjackets turned into a positive for the visitors, as Minnesota Morris would come back and win the first set 27-25.
 
The Cougars' momentum would carry over to the beginning of the second set, as they would take a 6-2 lead. The 'Jackets would counter with six-straight points which commenced from an Ayla Oltmanns (Gilbert, Minn./Duluth East) kill. Sophomore Lizzy Schmidt (Twin Lakes, Wis./Wilmot Union) followed that up with a service ace while UWS would continue to rack up points off Cougar errors and extend its lead to 14-8. From there the Yellowjackets began to take their foot off the gas, allowing Minnesota Morris to crawl back and only trail by two points at 18-16. Teams would trade points and the lead, but with kills from Crandell, Oltmanns, and Stark, the Yellowjackets would come back to win 25-23.
 
Both teams would trade points and the lead early in the third, as the Yellowjackets would lead 8-7. After a Plautz kill, freshman Lindsey Racine (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) would serve up an ace and Oltmanns would shortly follow with a kill of her own. The Cougars responded with a kill from Wellbrock, who would register a service ace of her own and lead her squad to five-straight points. Oltmanns would help the 'Jackets get back on track, as she gave way to freshman Sydney Smith (Milltown, Wis./Unity) who would muster a pair of kills. Teams would trade the lead and points until the Cougars edged the Yellowjackets 25-23.
 
Minnesota Morris began the fourth set on a strong note, taking an early 5-1 edge. A kill from Kielan LaPlante (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) would steer UWS back on track, as this led to kills from both Stark and Smith. The Cougars and Yellowjackets countered each other's attempt at a long rally, as both teams were unable to muster any offensive attack until Wellbrock registered a kill to tie the match at 14-14. As the Cougars extended their lead to 21-17, the 'Jackets began to close in with Oltmanns and Plautz generating the offense. Their efforts, however, wouldn't be enough to secure the set as they fell 25-23 in the fourth, losing the match 3-1.
 
The Cougars were led by Wellbrock with 14 kills, while Maggie Jones and Tori Scheler each swung for 10. Newton ended her evening with 45 assists while Brunn scooped 41.
 
The Yellowjackets' offensive attack was spearheaded by Stark with 15 kills, while Plautz and Oltmanns ended their evenings with 12 kills apiece. Claude picked up 30 assists and two service aces. Defensively, Jenna Anderson (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) was flying across the court, who was credited with 35 digs for her efforts. Stark dug 23 while Racine picked up 14 digs and a service ace.
 
After Friday's match, UWS still sits in third place in UMAC standings.
 
The Yellowjackets (15-10, 7-4 UMAC) are back in action Saturday as they welcome Crown in their annual cause game. First serve at Mertz Mortorelli Gym is scheduled for 1 p.m.