Game Time...No. 9 Northwestern College plays host to fifth-ranked Dordt for a Sioux County Showdown series match-up between top 10 teams Tuesday night at the Bultman Center. First serve is scheduled for 7:30pm. Northwestern is a half-game up on Midland for second place in the current GPAC standing with a 12-2 record, 21-5 overall. Dordt brings a 15-match win streak into Tuesday night and is a perfect 14-0 in league play, 21-2 overall. 

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

About the Sioux County Showdown...This is the first year of the Sioux County Showdown, sponsored by I29 Sports, a point-based athletic and academic competition between the two long-time rivals, Northwestern and Dordt. As a sponsor of this series, I29 Sports has committed to several unique events over the course of the 2018/19 athletic season, including having special donation locations for each contest between the two rivals.

The goal of the Series is to generate as much excitement from fans at each contest, as well as alumni across Iowa and the nation, while also raising funds for a great cause, culminating in awarding the Sioux County Showdown Champions Trophy in May. We all have a goal to help raise more than $5000 in year one of the event for Hunger Free Kids of Sioux County.
 
Every dollar donated will directly support Hunger Free Kids of Sioux County, an organization that seeks to provide local support to ensure all children in Sioux County receive adequate nutrition to thrive.

The Series...Northwestern leads the series 44-42 dating back to the 1989 season. The Red Raiders are 21-14 against Dordt under head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch (since 2005) and are 5-5 over the last 10.

Earlier This Season...Lauryn Hilger put down a team-high 16 kills in the Red Raiders four-set loss (15-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-19) to Dordt in a match-up played in Sioux Center on Sept. 11. Hilger hit .500 (16 kills, 3 errors, 26 attacks) and totaled nine digs to lead Van Den Bosch's squad. Josie Blankespoor floored eight kills and Bekah Horstman tallied nine kills and three blocks. 

Ema Altena led the Defenders with 16 kills, followed by both Julia Lindbergh and Ally Krommendyk with 10 kills each. Dordt held the edge in hitting percentage (33% - 22%) and both team totaled seven blocks. 

Scouting Reports...

    No. 5 Dordt Defenders: 14-0 (1st), 21-2       Head Coach: Chad Hanson (8th year)

The Defenders carry an impressive 15-match win streak into Tuesday night and have only dropped four sets during their current streak. They have already clinched at least a share of the GPAC Regular season title, owning a perfect 14-0 record and a two-game lead over both Midland and Northwestern with two matches left to play. The Defenders are 21-2 overall, losing only to ranked teams, (RV) Rocky Mountain (Mont.) and No.2 Grand View.

Hanson has been the Defenders' head coach since the 2011 season and is 168-72 heading into his eighth season in 2018. He was the GPAC Coach of the Year in 2015 and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year in 2017, the first of two consecutive seasons he guided Dordt to a national runner-up finish. Hanson returns all but two starters from a 2017 team that went 14-2 in GPAC play (T1st), 34-8 overall, losing to Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) in the national championship match.

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 14.0 (2nd / 4th)
        Hitting %: .264 (2nd / 8th)
        Aces: 118 (4th)
        Digs/Set: 16 (4th)
        Blocks/Set: 2.4 (2nd)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Ema Altena - 2x All-American, 3x All-Conference; 4.1 kill/set, .302% (5th), 2.4 digs/set, 51 blocks
        Julia Lindbergh - All-Conference; 1.9 kills/set, .204%, 21 blocks
        Leah Kamp - All-Conference; 2.7 kills/set, .318% (9th), 59 blocks
        Ally Krommendyk - All-Conference - 2.2 kills/set, .287% (8th), 80 blocks (2nd)
        Jamie De Jager - 2x All-American, 3x All-Conference; 10.8 assists/set (2nd/7th), 24 aces, 2.3 digs/set
        Aubrey Drake - 5.1 digs/set (2nd), 16 aces

9th-ranked Northwestern: 12-2 (T2nd), 21-5               Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (14th year)

Northwestern owns a half-game lead on Midland for second place in the current GPAC standings with a 12-2 record and two matches left to play. They own the tiebreak over the Warriors by way of their 3-0 win on Oct.13. Northwestern has won five straight matches and is 21-5 overall.

By the Numbers... (GPAC Rank / NAIA-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 14.3 (1st / 1st)
        Hitting %: .288 (1st/5th)
        Aces: 163 (2nd)
        Digs/Set: 13.9 (10th)
        Blocks/Set: 2.2 (7th)

     Top Players:
        Lauryn Hilger - 4.6 kills/set (1st/ 2nd), .335 (2nd), 2.9 digs/set, 41 aces (1st)
        Makenzie Fink - 2.6 kills/set, .268%, 29 aces (3rd)
        Josie Blankespoor - 2.3 kills/set, .213%
        Emily Van Ginkel - 2.0 kills/set, .297%, 73 blocks
        Bekah Horstman - 1.5 kills/set, .348%, 88 blocks (6th)
        Lacey Wacker - 11.7 assists/set (1st / 1st), 1.9 digs/set
        Emily Strasser - 3.9 digs/set (8th), 30 aces (5th)