Game Time... Northwestern College returns home this weekend to play Midland in a GPAC match-up between ranked teams. First serve scheduled for 3pm. Northwestern, ranked 12th in the latest NAIA Coaches' poll, has won two straight matches and currently sits in third place in the GPAC with a 9-2 record, 18-5 overall. Midland, ranked ninth in the last poll, is 10-1 and in second place in the conference, 18-3 overall. 

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

All-Time...The Red Raiders lead the all-time series 47-13 against Midland, going 5-5 over the last 10 match-ups. Last season, Northwestern defeated Midland in a five-setter played in Fremont, Neb.

Scouting Reports...

    #9 Midland Warriors: 10-1 (2nd), 18-3 overall        Head Coach: Paul Giesselman (9th year)

Since its 3-0 loss to #8 Dordt on Sept. 22, Midland has rattled off four straight wins, all within GPAC play. The Warriors recorded three sweeps (Doane, Briar Cliff and Dakota Wesleyan) and knocked off a ranked Jamestown team on the road in five sets. Midland is second in the current GPAC standings with a 10-1 record, one game in back of Dordt and one game up on Northwestern. They are 18-3 overall, losing only to teams ranked in the top 10 (Viterbo, Grand View and Dordt). 

Paul Giesselman is in his ninth season as the head of the Warriors volleyball program, coming to Midland after a successful stint at both College of Saint Mary and Creighton. Giesselman owns a 73% win percentage and has won 428 matches, ranking 13th among active coaches in the NAIA, during his collegiate career. He has guided Midland to seven straight 20+ win seasons and five trips to the NAIA Championship. Giesselman returns eight starters from a 2017 team that finished fourth in the GPAC with a 11-5 record, 21-11 overall, losing to College of Idaho in the round of 16. 

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 13 (3rd)
        Hitting %: .236 (3rd)
        Aces: 122 (3rd)
        Digs/Set: 15.1 (8th)
        Blocks/Set: 2.1 (5th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Priscilla O'Dowd (3x NAIA All-American)  3.3 kills/set (6th), .484% (1st/1st), 65 blocks (7th), 2.5 digs
        Jenny Bair (All-Conference) 2.7 kills/set, .166%
        Maggie Hiatt - 2.4 kills/set, .170%, 53 blocks
        Sydney Morehouse - 1.8 kills/set, .258%, 63 blocks
        Jessica Peters (3x NAIA All-American) - 10.3 assists/set (4th), 2.8 digs/set
        Jaisa Russell - 3.5 digs/set (9th)

    #12 Northwestern College Red Raiders:  9-2 (3rd GPAC), 18-5 overall        Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (14th year)

With just over two weeks left in the regular season, 12th-ranked Northwestern is in third place in the GPAC with a 9-2 record, 18-5 overall. They are one game in back of Midland and lead fourth place Hastings by one game, holding the tiebreak with a win over the Broncos earlier this season. Northwestern concluded its three-match road trip with a 2-1 record, losing to Morningside and coming back to beat College of Saint Mary and Dakota Wesleyan.

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 14.2 (1st / 1st)
        Hitting %: .282% (1st / 5th)
        Aces: 146 (1st)
        Digs/Set: 13.9 (10th)
        Blocks/Set: 2.0 (7th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Lauryn Hilger (3x all-conference)  4.6 kills/set (1st / 3rd), 35 aces (1st), 2.9 digs/set
        Makenzie Fink (All-Conference)  2.6 kills/set, .262%, 26 aces (4th), 1 digs/set
        Josie Blankespoor (All-Conference) 2.4 kills/set, .215%, 28 blocks
        Emily Van Ginkel  1.8 kills/set, .248%, 61 blocks
        Bekah Horstman  1.6 kills/set, .361%, 75 blocks
        Lacey Wacker (All-Conference / GPAC Freshman of Year)  11.8 assists/set (1st /1st), 19 aces, 2 digs/set
        Emily Strasser  27 aces (8th), 3.9 digs/set (7th)

Other Numbers of Note..
Northwestern has floored more kills than its opponent in all but one match

Red Raiders have hit better than their opponent in 18 of 23 matches

Van Den Bosch's squad has served more aces than opponent in all but seven matches

Lauryn Hilger leads the Red Raiders with 21 matches in double figure kills; Hilger has 11 double-doubles, including four straight

Makenzie Fink has eight matches with double figure kills; Josie Blankespoor has hit for double figures in seven matches, six of the last seven

Emily Strasser has recorded 10+ digs in 16 matches

Both Emily Van Ginkel and Bekah Horstman have hit for double figures in two matches each