New Ulm, MN - The Martin Luther College volleyball team came up short in their Saturday afternoon match against UW-Superior, taking the Yellowjackets to a fifth set where they ultimately fell 3-2 (30-28, 17-25, 17-25, 25-17, 9-15).

MLC played tough in the match and actually outgained the Yellowjackets 54-53 in kills, but the 44-27 disadvantage in errors for MLC proved costly.

The Knights won an exciting first set, that forced MLC to score 30 points in order to come up with it, as the Knights recorded 17 kills. UW-Superior would return in the following two sets with some separation, defeating MLC by eight points in each set.

MLC had a hitting percentage of .333 in the crucial fourth set that gave them the chance to extend the match, capitalizing on 15 kills and just four errors. 

In th end, UW-Superior made the plays needed in the shortened final set and escaped the LSC with a 15-9 win.

Naomi Bridgemen led the Knights with 24 digs and was a catalyst on many volleys in the match. Grace Kieselhorst collected a team-high 17 kills, while Paige Biesterfeld was right behind her picking up 10 for a second consecutive match.

Ella Walz set up her teammates throughout the match, finishing with 27 assists which tied a career high.

With the loss, MLC was unable to move past UW-Superior in the UMAC standings, but the Knights still hold a solid spot in fourth place with a 5-13, 3-3 record in conference play.

The Knights will be back on the court on Tuesday, October 10, when they go to Bethany with hopes of a season sweep. The match will start at 7 p.m.