Game Time... No.9 Northwestern College is set to host the (RV) University of Jamestown this weekend for the final game of the regular season. First serve on Saturday, Oct. 27, is scheduled for 1:30pm. Northwestern is currently sitting in third place in the GPAC with a 12-3 record, 21-6 overall. Jamestown is in fifth place in the conference standings with an 8-5 record, 19-6 overall, with three matches left to play in the regular season heading into the weekend.

Saturday's match will also be both Senior and Parent's Day for Coach Van Den Bosch's squad as the two seniors on this year's roster, Lauryn Hilger and Allison Koehlmoos, along with all the parents of the players, will be recognized. 

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

All-Time...The Red Raiders have won five straight matches and are 11-1 all-time against Jamestown. Northwestern's only setback was in 2011.

Earlier This Season...Northwestern earned a 3-0 sweep over the Jimmies in a match played on Sept. 15 in North Dakota. Individual scores include 25-12, 25-21, 25-19. 

Lauryn Hilger totaled a match-high 18 kills, hitting .500 for the match, and Makenzie Fink added 15 kills, hitting .560, to lead Van Den Bosch's squad. The Red Raiders hit .415 over the three sets and limited Jamestown to 13%.

Scouting Reports...

    (RV) University of Jamestown - 8-5, 19-6 overall   Head Coach: Jon Hegerle (10th year)

Heading into a Friday night match against Briar Cliff, Jamestown owns an 8-5 record in conference play, 19-6 overall with three matches left in the regular season. They have been ranked or received votes in the NAIA Coaches' poll all season and will be the No.5 seed in the upcoming GPAC postseason tournament. Jamestown has won three straight matches, downing Morningside, Dakota Wesleyan and Dickinson State, all by a 3-0 score.

Hegerle returns five starters and seven players from a 2017 team that finished as the regular season runner-up to Viterbo in the North Star Athletic Conference. They advanced to play in the NAIA National Championship-Final Site to finish with a 23-10 record. Hegerle has to replace three All-Americans that graduated. Jamestown was picked sixth in the GPAC preseason coaches' poll. 

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 12.2 (9th)
        Hitting %: .204 (8th)
        Aces: 123 (6th)
        Digs/Set: 17.5 (2nd)
        Blocks/Set: 2.4 (3rd)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kennedy Conzemius (returning starter)  2.3 kills/set, .225%, 50 blocks 
        Britta Knudson  2.1 kills/set, .340% (2nd), 88 blocks (4th)
        Isabel Wedell  2.0 kills/set, .234%, 39 blocks
        Miranda Lowman  5.4 assists/set, 25 aces
        Julina Niemeier  - 18 aces, 6.3 digs/set (1st / 6th)
        
No.9 Northwestern Notes - 12-3 (3rd), 21-6

The Red Raiders slipped back to third place in the GPAC standings after falling to #5 Dordt last time out. They are 12-3 in league play, 1/2 game in back of Midland and 1/2 game up on Hastings. Northwestern holds the tiebreak over both teams, however, by defeating them during the regular season. They are 21-6 overall.

By the Numbers... (GPAC Rank / NAIA-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 14.2 (1st / 1st)
        Hitting %: .286 (1st/5th)
        Aces: 166 (2nd)
        Digs/Set: 13.8 (11th)
        Blocks/Set: 2.1 (6th)

     Top Players:
        Lauryn Hilger - 4.6 kills/set (1st/ 2nd), .333 (3rd), 2.9 digs/set, 41 aces (1st)
        Makenzie Fink - 2.5 kills/set, .265%, 32 aces (5th)
        Josie Blankespoor - 2.2 kills/set, .202%
        Emily Van Ginkel - 2.0 kills/set, .279%, 77 blocks (9th)
        Bekah Horstman - 1.6 kills/set, .368%, 91 blocks (7th)
        Lacey Wacker - 11.7 assists/set (1st / 1st), 1.8 digs/set
        Emily Strasser - 3.9 digs/set (7th), 30 aces 

The two seniors, Lauryn Hilger and Allison Koehlmoos, have been part of the Red Raider volleyball program the last four years. During this time, Northwestern has posted a 48-15 record in the GPAC, winning a share of the regular season title last year, 93-37 overall. They were part of a Red Raider team that qualified for the national championship last year.

    Lauryn Hilger - 2x NAIA Scholar Athlete; 2016 NAIA All-American, 3x all-conference; 1 of 7 players at NWC to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs; played in 128 matches, ranks 7th w/ 1536 kills and 16th w/ 1,174 digs

    Allison Koehlmoos - NAIA Scholar Athlete; 2017 NAIA Champion of Character recipient; played in 50 matches, 174 digs (1.3 per set)