A.J. Horstman put down a season-high 20 kills in leading No.14 Northwestern College to a five-set win (25-17, 30-32, 17-25, 25-15, 15-9) over Buena Vista in a non-conference volleyball match-up played tonight in the Bultman Center. 

The Red Raiders push their win streak to six and improve to 9-1 on the year. 

Down 2-1 in sets, Northwestern saved its best volleyball for the final two sets as the Raiders hit over .400 and held the Beavers to under .100. Tied at eight in the fourth, Northwestern went on a 5-1 run, getting kills by Horstman and Mackenzie Fink. The Red Raiders put the set out of reach with another 5-1 surge, capped by a kill from Anna Kiel, to force the decisive fifth set. 

The Red Raiders never trailed in the final set, opening up a 3-1 lead and used a 3-0 run later to push their advantage to 10-5. From there, the teams played sideout volleyball with Northwestern taking the match on a kill from Kiel.

Horstman hit .429 over the five-set match, putting down 20 kills in 35 attempts, and was one of four Northwestern players in double figures. Kiel added 17 kills, hitting .405 for the match, and Fink (14 kills) and Lauryn Hilger (11) also had 10+ kills. Lacey Wacker put up 65 assists and directed a Red Raider offense that hit .323 for the match. Karsyn Winterfeld led the backrow with 14 digs, one of three Red Raiders to record double figures. 

By the Numbers...

Horstman has hit for 20+ kills three times in her career; this was the fourth match this season with 10+ kills

Kiel has hit for double figures in nine of the 10 matches played

Both Hilger and Fink hit for double figures in their third match

Wacker totaled a career-high 65 assists; her second match with 60+ assists

Winterfeld (14), Hilger (13) and Horstman (12) posted 10+ kills; Horstman recorded her second double-double of the season

Josie Blankespoor put down six kills and 1.5 blocks

Buena Vista hit .242 for the match, led by Jade Schaap with 24 kills