Notables
-CSS currently has a 46-match winning streak against Northland dating back to 1998.
-Schermann recorded 28 kills in this doubleheader
-Rajala recorded 14 kills against UWS, a career best
-UWS snapped a six-match losing streak to the Saints at the Reif

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DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica volleyball team had its home opener Tuesday night at the Reif Gymnasium against Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) opponents Northland College and University of Wisconsin-Superior. The Saints swept the LumberJills 3-0, but lost a tight five-set match against the 'jackets.
 
CSS 3, Northland 0
In the opening match of the day, the Saints had little trouble overcoming the LumberJills. In the first set, the Saints never fell behind, winning 25-10. Brooke Schermann (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) had four kills during the opening set, while Emily Bounds (Hill City, Minn./Hill City HS) had three.
 
The Saints had the most difficulty against the LumberJills during the second set. Northland got off to an early 2-0 start. But, after kills from Sofia Rajala (Deer River, Minn./Greenway HS) and Schermann, St. Scholastica was able to take back the set. Northland tied up the set three more times at 6-6, 7-7 and 9-9, but the Saints strengthened their lead once they hit double digits. CSS' largest lead came when it was up by eight points, winning 25-18.
 
The third set was a little easier for St. Scholastica. A kill from Tatum Swanson (Carlton, Minn./Wrenshall HS) put the Saints on the board first, but a service error quickly tied up the game 1-1. Rajala was able to tie up the game 2-2, and an attack error from the LumberJills gave Scholastica the momentum the team needed to come out on top.  CSS scored five unanswered points at the very end of the set, putting the final set score at 25-14 and match score at 3-0.
 
Schermann lead the match in both digs and kills with 11 each, with six kills coming in the second set. Bounds had seven kills and nine digs. Taylor Thompson (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) also had nine digs. Espi Austvold (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) recorded 22 assists.
 
UWS 3, CSS 2
The last match of the night between the Bridge Rivals featured 38 ties and 14 lead changes.
 
In the first set against the Yellowjackets, UWS pulled away after the third tie at 3-3. The Saints followed closely on their heels trying to take back the game, but were unable to. The Yellowjackets ended the set with four unanswered points, winning 25-19.
 
The second set was a tighter contest than the first for both teams. St. Scholastica was on the board first with a service ace from Austvold. A kill from UWS would tie up the game 1-1, and this neck-and-neck race would continue until an attack error on the Saints and a kill from Superior put UWS ahead 14-12.
 
St. Scholastica fought hard to regain the lead and was able to tie the Yellowjackets 17-17 after an attack error by UWS. Another attack error from UWS put the Saints in the lead 18-17. CSS held onto the lead until Superior fought back, tying the game 24-24. After a quick timeout, the Saints were able to reclaim the lead and the set win with a final kill from Madissen Burns (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS). With the 26-24 victory, the Saints tied the match score 1-1.
 
The third set started off easy for the Saints, but quickly became an intense battle again. CSS was up 3-0 after three attack errors on Superior. Soon after, the Yellowjackets tied the game up at 5-5, starting another blanket finish that caused six more ties. A kill by Rajala put CSS ahead 19-18, and CSS kept that momentum going. St. Scholastica pulled away and strengthened their lead, winning 25-20.
 
The fourth set was the closest of them all. Tying 13 times throughout the course of the set. The Saints would get two match points in the set, one at 24-23 and the other at 25-24, but Ashlee Bayer kills on both occasions kept the match alive for UWS. After two attack errors by CSS, Superior gained the slight edge they needed and were victorious 27-25. With the second Superior win, match score was now tied at 2-2.
 
In the fifth-and-final set, UWS kept a slight edge over CSS. Although the Saints were able to score the first point off of a kill by Rajala and tie up the set twice, Superior was able to pull away at the end and win it all 15-11.
 
Schermann recorded 17 kills against UWS, while Rajala and Swanson each had 14. For Rajala, the 14 kills were a career-high. Austvold had 43 assists, which was almost double any other CSS player and a season high. Thompson led the team with 20 digs.
 
Up Next
The Saints (4-8, 2-2 UMAC) will host another triangular with University of Northwestern (Minn.) and Bethany Lutheran College on Saturday. The first match, CSS vs UNW, will begin at 2 p.m. at the Reif Gymnasium.