UWS Splits Womens Volleyball

NSO-NEWS RELEASE

The Yellowjacket volleyball team returned to action Tuesday night, making its home debut for 2014 with a pair of matches as part of a triangular. Despite the 4:00 p.m. start time, the crowd for the opener at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium was a good one as the Yellowjackets took on Bethel University. The second match featured an even larger and much more raucous crowd as the Yellowjackets took on soon-to-be conference rivals from the College of St. Scholastica. Superior has been up and down so far this season, coming into play Tuesday with a record of 5-3.

Bethel 3, Yellowjackets 1

Bethel entered the match with a record of 6-2, and they didn’t give the Yellowjackets what they were hoping for in their first match at home for the 2014 season, as they found themselves overwhelmed by the Royals right from the start. Bethel jumped out to a 14-5 lead in the opening minutes of the first set. Superior tried to claw its way out from the nine-point hole, cutting the deficit to 20-17 late in the game. They couldn’t get any closer, however. Bethel finished the last leg with a flurry of points, three straight to be exact, before Superior got two back, only to see the Royals finish the job by recording the next two points. Superior lost the first set 25-19.

Perhaps that was just a warm-up round for our Yellowjackets.  In the second set, Superior jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead, only to see Bethel come back and take the lead at 17-16 late in the match. Superior persevered, though. They scored three straight points, never relinquishing the lead even when Bethel cut the lead to 22-21. Again, the Yellowjackets scored three straight points to take the set and even the match at one set apiece.

Losing the second set seemed to upset Bethel because they came out in the third set determined not to lose another set. Superior held the lead until the 13-point mark, and then Bethel turned up their intensity. Superior evened the score for the last time at 14-14, then Bethel put together two stretches of four straight points, including one that saw them win the set, 25-17.

In the fourth set, Bethel carried over that same intensity by jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Superior responded with four straight of its own to tie it. When the score was 9-8 in Bethel’s favor, they turned it up yet another notch, scoring six out of the next seven points to take a commanding 16-9 lead. Superior got as close as 24-22, but weren’t able to complete the comeback. They lost the set 25-22 and the match 3-1.

Top players for the Yellowjackets in the opener were Keely Deadrick (Esko, Minn./Esko), who recorded 38 assists and nine digs. Kill specialist Stephanie Bandelin (Esko, Minn./Esko) had 19 kills, a season high. On defense, libero Chelsey Walerius (New Prague, Minn./Tri-City United) recorded 13 digs.

Bethel was led by Carlee Hoppe, Kristin Stern, and Nicole Deberry who recorded 19, 13, and 11 kills, respectively. Courtney Sheets and Katie Lubben had 16 and 12 digs, respectively.

Yellowjackets 3, St. Scholastica 0

In the nightcap of the three-match triangle, Superior played host to the neighbors across the bridge, St Scholastica. The atmosphere was a full 10 notches higher than when Superior played Bethel, as a great crowd was on hand to watch the heated rivals play. Fortunately for Superior, it was all about them from start to finish.

Even though Superior fell behind early, 10-6, they clawed their way back, scoring six out of eight points, to even the score at 12-12. They fell behind late in the match, 20-19, before St. Scholastica crumbled, committing four straight attack errors after Stephanie Bandelin (Esko, Minn./Esko) scored a kill to give the Yellowjackets the lead for good at 21-20. Superior won the first set, 25-20.

Superior seemed to be in control of the second set until late. After going up 22-17, Superior surrendered four straight points, with three of the points coming by way of attack errors. Fortunately, they regained their composure and closed out the set, 25-22.

With their eyes set on a sweep, the Yellowjackets fed off the energy of the crowd in the third set, and played their best volleyball of the night. While Superior had a comfortable lead for the majority of the set, St. Scholastica threatened a few times, cutting the lead to one at 11-10 and to four at 17-13. But the Yellowjackets put it on them after that, scoring six straight points to open up a 23-13 lead. The Saints hung tough, but in the end the Yellowjackets put St. Scholastica to bed, winning the final set 25-17, and winning the match 3-0.

Key players for Superior were Bandelin with 13 kills and 11 digs, Gabrielle Olson (Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie) (seven kills), and Elizabeth Koza (Washburn, Wis./Washburn) (six kills). Deadrick had 32 assists (giving her 70 assists for the night) and had 11 digs. Walerius had nine digs, and Jordan Olson (Cohasset, Minn./Grand Rapids) had seven.

St. Scholastica was led by Kortney Morrin (9 kills and 10 digs) and Danielle Benusa (14 digs).

With the win, the Yellowjackets improve to 6-4 on the season. Their next home game isn’t until September 26, but they’ll see plenty of action before then. They’ll head to Oshkosh, Wis. this weekend to take part in the UW-Oshkosh Pizza Hut Classic. The Yellowjackets will have four matches on the weekend – Lawrence University and the College of Saint Benedict on Friday, and Martin Luther College and St. Catherine University on Saturday.