WINONA, Minn. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College opened play at the Sugar Loaf Classic on Friday, falling in straight sets to UW-Superior at Saint Mary's Gymnasium. The Yellowjackets defeated the Warriors 25-15, 25-17, 25-10.

UW-Superior (1-0) took control early in the opening set, utilizing a 5-0 scoring run to jump out to an early lead. WLC (0-2) attempted to chip away at the deficit coming within three points at 10-7, but Superior maintained its cushion to take the first frame 25-15.

The second set proved to be the most competitive of the match, featuring six tie scores and two lead changes. Wisconsin Lutheran held an 11-8 advantage following a kill by freshman Alex Emberger (Maple Grove, Minn.), but UWS responded with a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead. After the Warriors pulled within three at 18-15, the Yellowjackets closed the set on a 7-2 spurt to win 25-17.

In the third set, UW-Superior left little room for a comeback after WLC fell behind 11-1. Superior hit a match-high .333 in the final frame to secure the sweep with a 25-10 victory.

Wisconsin Lutheran finished the match with a .000 hitting percentage. Freshman Elizabeth Ehlke (Cedarburg, Wis.) led the Warriors' attack with five kills, while junior Hannah Rood (Burnsville, Minn.) tallied a team-high 12 assists. Sophomore Brooke Bartelt (West Bend, Wis.) anchored the defense with 13 digs, At the net, junior Elexa Varden (Dixon, Ill.) recorded a team-best three blocks.

UWS posted a .297 hitting percentage for the match. Makenna Hohbein and Kyndra Peterson shared the team lead with nine kills apiece, while Carlie Lohman orchestrated the offense with 22 assists and three aces. Savanna Hering led all players with 19 digs.

WLC continues play at the Sugar Loaf Classic on Saturday. Wisconsin Lutheran is scheduled to face Minnesota-Morris at 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. matchup against host Saint Mary's.