MANKATO, Minn. – The Yellowjacket volleyball team played its final regular season match of 2024, taking on Bethany Lutheran inside North Gymnasium. Already earning a postseason berth in this year's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) tournament, the Yellowjackets will ride a three-match winning streak after defeating the Vikings on Saturday.
 
It certainly wasn't easy, though.
 
After winning the first two sets by scores of 25-14 and 25-21, the Vikings game back and won the third and fourth sets, pushing a fifth. In a tight match, the 'Jackets prevailed and earned a 15-11 set win to head into the postseason on the right foot.
 
Match Notes

• After trading points early in the first set, the Yellowjackets saw kills from Marena Saeger (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) and Addy Gangl (Nashwauk, Minn./Nashwauk-Keewatin) to obtain a 9-4 lead. UW-Superior would advance their lead with a combination of kills and Viking attack errors, and Makenna Hohbein (Holdingford, Minn./Holdingford) would ultimately shut the door with a kill to secure a 25-14 win in the opener.
• During set number two, the 'Jackets got out front early with kills from Hohbein, Ayla Oltmanns (Gilbert, Minn./Duluth East) and Sydney Smith (Milltown, Wis./Unity). BLC scored four-straight points to take their first lead of the set.
• Both squads volleyed the lead until Smith began a three-point charge at 15-15, giving UWS the lead and never looking back. The Yellowjackets garnered kills from Gangl and Hohbein to secure a 25-21 victory.
• UWS took an early lead in the third set, as Gangl, Hohbein and Saeger led the charge to lead 13-5. BLC came back within two at 17-15 before tying things up after a trio of Yellowjacket miscues. Superior came within striking distance of sweeping the Vikings, but timely offense lifted Bethany Lutheran to a 27-25 win.
• After the third set ended, Bethany Lutheran got their offense going. A trio of rallies gave them a 17-8 advantage, but UW-Superior came within three at 21-18. Despite tying it at 24-24 apiece, back-to-back errors gave BLC the 26-24 win in set four.
• The final set saw both teams trade points and the lead, but back-to-back errors from BLC gave UWS the momentum needed. Gangl and Smith helped the lead shift in the Yellowjackets' favor, and kills from Maiana Stark (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) helped seal the deal Saturday afternoon.
• UW-Superior attacked at a collective .199 on the day, while Bethany Lutheran swung at a .157 clip. Hohbein, Gangl and Oltmanns paced the offensive efforts with 18, 15 and 13 kills, respectively.
• Jenna Anderson (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) posted a new high-water mark on the year with 44 digs in the contest. This also serves as a new career-best throughout her Yellowjacket career.

 
The Yellowjackets will now enter postseason play, beginning with a semifinal match Wednesday.
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