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Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

After a split Friday the Yellowjacket volleyball team was back in action Saturday for day two of the Bethel Invite in Arden Hills, Minnesota. They opened the day with an early match against Nebraska Wesleyan before waiting until the afternoon to take on the hosts from Bethel and ended up splitting the matches to go 2-2 on the weekend.

Yellowjackets 3, Nebraska Wesleyan 2

The Yellowjackets started the day off taking on Nebraska Wesleyan and needed five sets to push their season record to 2-1. After moving ahead 2-0 in the match, Nebraska Wesleyan rallied to take the next two sets to force the fifth and deciding frame, which the Yellowjackets claimed to win the match 3-2.

Down 5-4 in the first set the Yellowjackets evened the score on an Anna Hendrix (Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper) kill. They then reeled off the next four points, courtesy of two service aces from Emily VerWay (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) and a pair of Nebraska Wesleyan errors. A Mackenzie Dahlin (Kaukauna, Wis./Kaukauna) kill stretched the lead to seven at 21-14 and the Yellowjackets rode it out from there, taking the opening set 25-21.

It was more of the same in the second set, as the Yellowjackets went from tied at 5-5 and opened up a lead. The lead went as high as four, 11-7, before Nebraska Wesleyan rallied, taking six-of-seven points to go ahead. Still trailing by three at 21-17, the Yellowjackets, fueled by kills from VerWay, Ashlee Bayer (Cameron, Wis./Cameron), and Stephanie Bandelin (Esko, Minn./Esko) won six straight points to regain the lead and eventually close out the set by three, 25-22.

The third set was all Nebraska Wesleyan, as they took a 3-2 lead and never looked back, routing the Yellowjackets 25-12 to cut the Yellowjacket lead in the match in half. The fourth set was closer, with the teams trading points and leads early. With the set tied 10-10, the Prairie Wolves reeled off six points in a row and pulled away, winning the fourth set 25-19 and evening the match at 2-2.

In the fifth and final set the Yellowjackets, thanks to some error-filled play by the Prairie Wolves grabbed an early 5-0 lead. But just when you thought the Yellowjackets would cruise to the win, Nebraska Wesleyan came flying back and tied it. The Yellowjackets, fueled by the serving of Alexis Landherr (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti), went on a 6-2 run to pull ahead 11-7. The Yellowjackets were ahead 13-10 when Bandelin had back-to-back kills to close out the set 15-10 and give the Yellowjackets a 3-2 victory.

Bandelin led the Yellowjackets with 14 kills, while Bayer and Bailey Romans (Duluth, Minn./East) had eight apiece. VerWay had 35 assists. Defensively four Yellowjackets reached double digits in digs, with Dahlin leading the way with 12.

Bethel 3, Yellowjackets 0

After the five-set marathon to open the day the Yellowjackets had a lengthy break to recover before taking on the hosts from Bethel. Perhaps the break was too long as it took the Yellowjackets a while to find their footing, and that was all Bethel needed to keep their perfect season intact, as they swept the Yellowjackets 3-0.

Bethel started fast, winning five of the first six points before winning eight in a row to charge ahead 15-3. They Yellowjackets tried to claw their way back in, but in the end it wasn't enough and the Royals cruised to a 25-16 win in the first set.

The Royals again started fast in the second set and built up a 14-7 cushion. With Dahlin serving the Yellowjackets worked their way back into the game, cutting the deficit to three, 17-14. That was as close as they would get, however, as Bethel stepped on the gas pedal and closed out the second set 21-17 to take a commanding lead in the match.

Bethel won six of the first seven points in the third set, but the Yellowjackets chipped away at the deficit and were back to within three points at 16-13. That was as close as they would get, and Bethel kept the Yellowjackets at bay the rest of the way, winning the final set 25-22 and the match 3-0.

Once again Bandelin was the leader offensively as she was the only Yellowjacket in double digit kills with 12. Ana Biscaia (Curitiba, Brazil/Colégio Positivo) was next with seven. Biscaia also led the Yellowjackets in digs with 10. VerWay led the Yellowjackets with 24 assists.

The Yellowjackets (2-2, 0-0) will make their home debut for 2015 Wednesday they host host Lakehead University out of Thunder Bay, Ontario in an exhibition match at 4:00 p.m., followed by non-conference match against UMAC opponent Northland College at 7:00 p.m. Both matches from Mertz Mortorelli Gym will be streamed live through UW-Superior's online partner, the iFan Sports Network.