SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Yellowjacket volleyball team opened play in their second regular tournament of the season Friday, playing two-of-four matches at the Saint Paul Tournament. In the opener, Superior fell to Wartburg College 3-0 before downing the co-tournament host St. Catherine 3-0.
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Match One Notes
- The Yellowjackets and Knights held steady early on, trading blows left and right in a 9-9 tie. From there Wartburg rattled five consecutive points before Superior chipped away.
- Makenna Hohbein (Holdingford, Minn./Holdingford), alongside Katlyn Jones (Bloomer, Wis./Bloomer) and Marena Saeger (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) compiled the majority of Yellowjacket points midway through, keeping Wartburg at bay. After three consecutive miscues from the Knights, the Yellowjackets would commit one of their own, falling 25-23 in the first.
- Set two was another close one throughout, as neither team was able to escape a two-point deficit. Sitting at 18-18, Wartburg logged six consecutive points before ultimately winning the set 25-21.
- Early in the third Colleen Claude (Centuria, Wis./Homeschool) and Kate Jamtgaard (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) logged early kills, staying within striking distance of Wartburg. Sydney Smith (Milltown, Wis./Unity), Savanna Hering (Superior, Wis./Superior) and Carlie Lohman (South Range, Wis./Superior) aided the offense leading 20-19 before a combination of Yellowjacket miscues and Knights points boosted their way to a three-set sweep.
- Hohbein led with nine kills, while Smith and Jones added six kills apiece. Lohman logged 14 assists while Gabi Schwirtz (Plato, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake) followed with 12. Schwirtz also garnered 14 digs.
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Match Two Notes
- Match number two of the day saw a completely different Yellowjacket squad, as they were firing on all cylinders with an attack percentage of .236, including a first-set .324 clip and a third-set mark of .353.
- Superior took control right away, scoring four-straight points which featured the duo of Claude and Sidney Bader (Milltown, Wis./Unity) combine efforts to set the tone.
- Jamtgaard, Lohman and Chesney Phillipp (Jacksonville, N.C./Holdingford) each provided key offensive efforts midway through the first, leading to their eventual 25-17 win.
- The Wildcats kept things interesting in the second, but Superior's offensive output continued to power through. Hohbein, Jamtgaard and Bader spearheaded the production that led to a 25-22 win in set two.
- Superior dominated in the third, including an eight-point rally to lead 17-4. Lohman logged three service aces within the consecutive point streak.
- After St. Catherine began to muster up a comeback, the Yellowjackets turned things up a notch and shut the door. A kill from Phillipp set up the match point which saw Saeger shut the door and claim a 25-13 victory.
- Bader and Phillipp logged 10 kills apiece in the nightcap. Phillipp didn't log an attack error in 13 total attacks.
- Claude and Schwirtz logged 16 and 11 digs, respectively, leading the defensive efforts.
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The Yellowjackets continue tournament action Saturday. Their first match versus Hamline is set for 11 a.m. inside the Hutton Arena, while their Saint Paul Tournament finale sees them back inside the Butler Center to face Central (Iowa) at 2 p.m.
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