Game Time...Northwestern College will host Dakota Wesleyan for a conference match-up Thursday night beginning at 7:30pm. Northwestern, ranked third in this week's NAIA coaches' poll, is currently in first place in the GPAC with a 7-0 record, 20-1 overall. Dakota Wesleyan is in eighth place in the conference with a 1-5 mark, 12-9 overall. 

Follow the match live via the NWC webcast at the following link: Watch Now!

All-Time...Northwestern owns a 32-1 edge all-time against Dakota Wesleyan, dating back to the 1989 season. Earlier this year, the Red Raiders swept DWU at the Corn Palace in a match played on Sept. 19. 

Last Time vs DWU...A.J. Horstman put down a match-high 12 kills in leading Northwestern to a 25-21, 25-15, 25-19 win over the Tigers in a conference match-up played at the Corn Palace on Sept. 19. The Red Raiders hit .305 compared to .69 by the Tigers, led by Horstman who hit .240 on the rightside pin to go with three blocks. Josie Blankespoor added seven kills and four blocks while hitting .600 and both Lauryn Hilger and Anna Kiel added nine kills each. Northwestern served 13 aces, led by Makenzie Fink with a career-best seven.

    Match Recap | 

Scouting Reports...

    Dakota Wesleyan: 1-6 (8th), 12-10    Head Coach: Lindsey Wilber (4th year)

The Tigers have dropped five straight matches since a four-set, non-conference win over Grace on Sept. 15. Since that victory, DWU has lost to ranked teams, Midland, Northwestern, Hastings, Morningside and Dordt, all by 3-0 scores. Dakota Wesleyan's lone conference win was a five-setter on Sept. 5 against Mount Marty in Yankton, S.D.

Wilber is in her fourth season as the Tigers head coach and has guided DWU to more wins each season. Last year, DWU ended the 2016 season with an 18-14 overall record, the first season since 1993 that a Tigers volleyball team finished with a winning record. They were ninth in the GPAC (4-12), just missing out on the postseason conference tournament, and return five starters from last year's squad. 

    By the Numbers:   (GPAC rank/NAIA rank if top 10)
      Hitting %: .206 hitting percentage (T6th)
      Kills/Set: 11.4 (10th)
      Ace Serves: 81 (11th)
      Digs/Set: 18.8 (1st)
      Blocks/Set: 1.7 (9th)

    Individual Leaders:  (GPAC rank/NAIA rank if top 10)
      Rebecca Frick: 4.0 kills/set (2nd), .231 hit %, 4.1 digs/set, 18 aces
      Chelsey Heeg: 2.0 kills/set, 16 blocks
      Sydney Fritz: 1.6 kills/set, 20 blocks
      Bridgett Knobbe: 9.2 assists/set (6th), 2.1 digs/set
      Emily Brunsing: 62 blocks (10th)
      Sara Herman: 4.9 digs/set (1st)

    No.3 Northwestern College: 7-0 (1st), 20-1    Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (13th year)

The Red Raiders earned their 20th win of the season last time out, defeating 21st-ranked Morningside 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-19) Tuesday night at the Bultman Center. They are currently in first place in the GPAC standings and have climbed up to No.3 in this week's NAIA coaches' poll, the second highest ranking since the 2009 season. 

By the Numbers: (GPAC/NAIA Rank-if top 10)
Kills/Set:                14.3 (1st/6th)
Hitting Percentage: .325 (1st/3rd)
Aces:                      179 (1st/4th)
Digs:                       12.9 (11th)
Blocks/Set:             1.8 (8th)

Individual Leaders: (GPAC Rank/NAIA-if top 10)
Anna Kiel: 3.7 kills/set (3rd), .412 % (1st/3rd), 60 blocks, 1.9 digs/set
A.J. Horstman (All-conference): 3.1 kills/set, .328 (5th), 29 aces (3rd), 1.8 digs, 46 blocks
Lauryn Hilger (All-American): 2.5 kills/set, .292 (7th), 21 aces, 2.9 digs/set
Makenzie Fink: 2.4 kills/set, 27 aces (5th), 1.9 digs/set
Josie Blankespoor: 1.5 kill/set, .379 %, 53 blocks
Lacy Wacker: 11.7 assists/set (1st/1st), 23 aces, 19 blocks
Karsyn Winterfeld: 63 aces (1st/1st), 2.8 digs/set