SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Yellowjacket volleyball team resumed Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play Friday, taking on the No. 12-ranked Eagles of Northwestern. Entering the contest, the Yellowjackets were riding a three-match winning streak where they won all nine sets played against UMAC teams.
This narrative also checks out for the host Eagles, closing out the Faith Radio Triangular and opening the first two conference contests with straight set victories. Despite the Yellowjackets applying pressure, especially in the second and third sets, the home court advantage aided the Eagles' efforts to earn a 3-0 victory, snapping UW-Superior's unbeaten streak to open UMAC play.
Match Notes
- The 'Jackets saw the most offensive output come from freshman Makenna Hohbein (Holdingford, Minn./Holdingford), garnering a match-leading 14 kills.
- Set number one saw the Eagles leap out to an early 11-3 lead. A kill from junior Ella Kapus (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) helped stymie Northwestern's momentum, but a combination of Yellowjacket miscues and Eagles kills aided their momentum throughout the rest of the set, coming out on top 25-18.
- Despite opening the set with three points, the Eagles would see UWS take a lead midway through the second round. Maiana Stark (Germantown, Wis./Germantown), who returned to the court after being sidelined with an injury, logged a kill before the Eagles misfired. This led to the Yellowjackets scoring eight-of-nine points in a rally led by Hohbein and Addy Gangl (Nashwauk, Minn./Nashwauk-Keewatin), taking the first lead of the match by 12-10.
- UNW rallied to score six straight and retake the lead, but UWS came back within one at 19-18. The Eagles got ready to close things out, but Marena Saeger (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) and Hohbein chime in with kills to bring it back to 23-22, but Yellowjacket service errors handed the Eagles a set two win at 25-23.
- The third and final set saw UNW jump to an early lead, but the 'Jackets saw kills from Sydney Smith (Milltown, Wis./Unity), Saeger and Stark. The Eagles went on a five-kill run to lead 16-10 before UWS went on a six-point span shortly after, coming within two at 21-19. The momentum was halted with a Northwestern kill before Hohbein tried to get the Yellowjackets back on track, but UNW shut the door and earned the 3-0 sweep with a 25-20 score in the final set.
- Both squads accounted for 40 kills in the match, while being one value off in the assists and digs categories.
- Gabi Schwirtz (Plato, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake) dished a team-high 20 assists, while Colleen Claude (Centuria, Wis./Homeschool) contributed 13 on the evening.
- Jenna Anderson (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) finished her night with 29 digs, while Schwirtz and Hohbein added nine and eight scoops, respectively.
UWS returns to action Saturday, facing off against North Central. The match is set to commence at 1 p.m. inside Clark-Danielson Gymnasium.
