Game Time...No.11 Northwestern College makes a trip west for a showdown against top-ranked Hastings this weekend in conference play. First serve at the Lynn Farrell Arena is scheduled for 1:30pm. Northwestern is a perfect 5-0 in conference play and has won 15 straight matches for an 18-1 overall record. Hastings, the defending national champion, comes to Saturday's match with a 6-0 record, 14-0 overall. 

Follow the match live on the Hastings College webcast, courtesy of Stretch Internet, at the following link: Follow Now!

All-Time...Saturday's match will be the 57th in the rivalry between Northwestern and Hastings and the series is tied, 28-28. The Red Raiders are 6-4 over the last 10 matches and 2-3 over their last five against the Broncos. Northwestern lost to Hastings last year in three straight, 25-16, 25-15, 25-16. 

Scouting Reports...

    No.1 Hastings College Broncos: 6-0 (T1st), 14-0    Head Coach: Matt Buttermore (6th year) 

The Broncos come into the weekend with an unbeaten 14-0 overall record, 6-0 overall in conference play. Extended out even further, Hastings has won 24 consecutive matches, dating back to the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament last year. They have wins over Doane, College of Saint Mary, Mount Marty, Concordia, Dakota Wesleyan and Briar Cliff in GPAC matches, all by 3-0 scores. The Broncos are a remarkable 42-3 in sets played this season, winning 30 straight since their 3-1 win over Oklahoma City on August 25. 

Buttermore is in his sixth season as head coach, coming over to the Broncos after a successful stint as assistant at Bellevue. Buttermore, a two-time GPAC coach of the year, was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 2016 after leading the Broncos to the national championship with a 33-3 overall record. He returns seven rotation players and a total of 12 players from last year's team.

By the Numbers: (GPAC Rank/NAIA Rank-if top 10)
Kills/Set:                  14.3 (2nd/8th)
Hitting Percentage: .266 (2nd/8th)
Aces:                         82 (2nd)
Digs:                         16.3 (4th)
Blocks/Set                 3.06 (1st/2nd)

Individual Leaders: (GPAC Rank/NAIA-if top 10)
Katie Placke (All-American, 3x All-Conference): 3.8 kills/set (3rd), .411% (2nd/3rd), 5.5 assists/set, 32 blocks
Casey Krolikowski-2.4 kills/set, .165 %, 2.7 digs/set, 32 blocks
Andrea LaVerne (All-Conference)-2.2 kills/set, .385 %, 1.42 blocks/set (1st/3rd)
Lucy Skoch-1.27 blocks/set (2nd/6th)
Emily Filsinger-22 aces (7th)
Jill Bax (All-American, 3x All-Conference)-10 aces, 4.72 digs/set (3rd)

No.11 Northwestern College Red Raiders: 5-0 (GPAC), 18-1 Overall

The Red Raiders have won 15 straight matches since their 3-2 loss to then-No.9 Corban, the longest win streak since the 2014 season; they are 5-0 in the GPAC, one three unbeaten teams left in conference play. 

They have wins over Dordt, Concordia, Dakota Wesleyan, Doane and Mount Marty in conference play

By the Numbers: (GPAC/NAIA Rank-if top 10)
Kills/Set:                14.3 (1st/7th)
Hitting Percentage: .328 (1st/3rd)
Aces:                      168 (1st/2nd)
Digs:                       12.9 (11th)
Blocks/Set:             1.78 (8th)

Individual Leaders: (GPAC Rank/NAIA-if top 10)
Anna Kiel: 3.6 kills/set (6th), .402 % (3rd/4th), 49 blocks, 1.9 digs/set
A.J. Horstman (All-conference): 3.2 kills/set, .336 (4th), 28 aces (3rd), 1.8 digs, 41 blocks
Lauryn Hilger (All-American): 2.6 kills/set, .308 (7th), 20 aces, 2.97 digs/set
Makenzie Fink: 2.4 kills/set, 26 aces (4th), 1.8 digs/set
Josie Blankespoor: 1.5 kill/set, .404 %, 47 blocks
Lacy Wacker: 11.7 assists/set (1st/1st), 20 aces, 18 blocks
Karsyn Winterfeld: 59 aces (1st/1st), 2.8 digs/set