SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Saturday marked day two of the 2024 Macalester Invitational for the Yellowjacket volleyball team, where they would take on a pair of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rivals to close out the weekend.

After splitting matches Friday – falling to Grinnell in five sets before sweeping Lewis and Clark, the Yellowjackets took on Carleton College and the hosts from Macalester Saturday. The 'Jackets took care of business against Carleton, defeating the Knights 3-1 to start the day. The second match of the day posed a slightly stiffer test for the Yellowjackets, but they came from behind to down Macalester 3-1.
 
The Yellowjackets improve to 9-3 on the year after the Saturday sweep.
 
In the opener, the Yellowjackets had little difficulty with Carleton, despite having to go to four sets to get the win. Makenna Hohbein (Holdingford, Minn./Holdingford) had 13 kills for the Yellowjackets, who got 11 from Ella Kapus (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) and 10 from Addy Gangl (Nashwauk, Minn./Nashwauk-Keewatin).
 
Match One Notes

• The Yellowjackets trailed Carleton 6-3 early before going on a 6-0 run to take the lead in the opening set. Marena Saeger (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) had three kills in the run. UWS had two more runs of at least three points in the set and went on to a 25-23 win.
• In the second set the Yellowjackets started hot, taking an early 6-0 lead. Carleton was able to come back and draw even at 10-10, but from there it was all Yellowjackets. The 'Jackets took advantage of numerous Carleton errors to open up a big lead, and Sidney Bader (Milltown, Wis./Unity) closed things out with a kill, giving Superior the win, 25-17.
• Carleton didn't go away quietly, and after exchanging points with the 'Jackets in the middle stages of the set, pulled away late, taking six of the last seven points to win the set 25-20.
• The fourth set was all about long scoring runs for the Yellowjackets. With four runs of at least three points, the Yellowjackets got a kill from Saeger to close out the set, 25-13, to give the Yellowjackets the match.
• The Yellowjackets attacked at a clip of 18.5 percent in the match.
• Colleen Claude (Centuria, Wis./Homeschool) and Gabi Schwirtz (Plato, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake) had 22 and 20 assists, respectively.
• Jenna Anderson (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) was her usual dominant self, posting a team-high 27 digs.
• Sydney Smith (Milltown, Wis./Unity) had four kills and five blocks.

Things were a little tougher for the Yellowjackets in the second match of the day. Macalester came out strong and took the opening set 25-18, but the Yellowjackets answered, evening the match with a 26-24 win in the second. The Yellowjackets then took the third set 25-23 before rolling over the Scots in the fourth, 25-18 to take the match.
 
Offensively, it was one of the best matches of the season for the Yellowjackets, who attacked at a clip of 20 percent. Hohbein paced the Yellowjackets offensively for the second match in a row, posting 14 kills. Kapus and Gangl were strong again, each coming in with 12 kills.
 
Anderson finished with 20 digs and crossed 1,900 for her career on the day.
 
Match Two Notes

• Macalester started quickly, taking the first four points of the set. The Yellowjackets battled back, but could never erase the deficit and Macalester took the early lead.
• The second set started much the same way as the first, with Macalester jumping out early, this time taking a 6-0 lead. Again the 'Jackets battled back. An ace from Schwirtz tied it, 9-9, and a Macalester error put UWS in front. Macalester again opened up a five-point lead, and after a timeout, the 'Jackets answered. Time was running out, as Macalester had set point, but an ace by Hohbein and kill by Gangl tied it again, 24-24. A Hohbein kill gave the 'Jackets the winning margin, evening the match.
• Things were tied multiple times in the third set, but the Yellowjackets never allowed Macalester to pull in front. The teams traded points until back-to-back errors gave the Yellowjackets set point. Macalester again rallied and pulled to within a point, 24-23, but a Gangl kill ended the set and put the 'Jackets in front.
• The Yellowjackets kept the momentum going in the fourth set, but the Scots weathered the storm and eventually took a 10-8 lead. From there the Yellowjackets rolled. A Saeger kill broke a 12-12 tie and the 'Jackets cruised the rest of the way, building the lead as high as eight points before Melissa Hoff (Holmen, Wis./Holmen) closed out the set, and the match, with a kill.
• Hohbein was just shy of her career high in kills in the match.
• Claude and Schwirtz again had big assists numbers, posting 29 and 20, respectively.
• Kapus' 12 kills set a new career high. She also had an attack percentage of .478.

The Yellowjackets will be back in action Friday, Sept. 20 when they travel to the 2024 Wartburg Invite. The 'Jackets will take on Coe College of Cedar Rapids, Iowa at 7 p.m. Read Full Article