Game Time...No. 9 Northwestern plays host to #14 Hastings in the semifinals of the 2018 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Volleyball Tournament on Wednesday night, Nov. 7. First serve at the Bultman Center is scheduled for 7pm.
Northwestern, the No.2 seed in the 8-team tournament bracket, is 23-6 coming into Wednesday night's semifinal. Hastings, the No.3 seed, is 19-5.
Follow the match live via the NWC webcast at the following link:
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Listen to the match live via Sioux County Radio, KSOU 93-.9FM:
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All-Time...Since 1991, the all-time record between the two rivals is 30-30 and 5-5 over the last 10 match-ups. Hastings has a slight 3-2 edge in the last five despite the Red Raiders 3-1 win over the Broncos earlier this season.
Last Time vs Hastings...Three Red Raiders hit for double figures in their 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22) win over Hastings in a match played Sept. 29 at the Bultman Center.
Lauryn Hilger put down 19 kills and both
Makenzie Fink (16) and
Josie Blankespoor (11) were the other top hitters. Both Fink and
Emily Van Ginkel hit .400 or better over the four-set match.
Hastings was led by Sage Meyer with a match-high 21 kills and Lucy Skock added 14 kills and 1.5 blocks. The Broncos hit .288 and totaled 10 blocks while Northwestern hit for .269 and floored four blocks.
Scouting Reports...
#14 Hastings Broncos: 19-5 overall Head Coach- Matt Buttermore (7th year)
Since its four-set loss to the Red Raiders, Hastings has rattled off nine straight wins, including wins over ranked teams, Jamestown and Midland. They earned a 3-0 sweep over Morningside in Saturday's quarterfinal. The Broncos finished tied with both Northwestern and Midland for second in the GPAC regular season with a 13-3 record and earned the No.3 seed by way of tie break procedures. They are 19-5 overall.
Coach Buttermore, in his seventh season at Hastings, has earned GPAC Coach of the Year honors the last two years. He guided the Broncos to the NAIA National Championship in 2016 and to both the GPAC regular and postseason title in 2017. He returns four starters and 10 players from last year's team that went 14-2 in the GPAC, 28-3 overall.
By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
Kills/Game: 13.1 (4th)
Hitting %: .220% (4th)
Aces: 171 (1st)
Digs/Set: 15.5 (6th)
Blocks/Set: 2.5 (1st / 5th)
Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
Lucy Skoch (All-Conference) 3.7 kills/set (5th) .303% (5th), 66 blocks
Sage Meyer (3x All-Conference) 3.1 kills/set (10th), .223%, 2.8 digs/set
Casey Krolikowski (All-American, 1st team all-conference) 3.5 digs/set
Emily Lenners 1.4 kills/set, 138 blocks (1st / 5th)
Clare Hamburger (All-Conference) 5 assists/set (10th), 1.8 digs/ set
Claire Thede 5.6 assists/set (9th), 31 aces (9th)
No.9 Northwestern Notes - 13-3 (T2nd), 23-6 Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (14th year)
The Red Raiders swept Doane in the GPAC Quarterfinals last weekend to improve to 23-6 on the season. They have won two straight matches heading into Wednesday night, downing a ranked Jamestown squad in the regular season finale. Northwestern finished tied with the Broncos and Midland for second in the GPAC, going 13-3 in conference play. They are playing in their second consecutive GPAC semifinal, losing to Dordt last season.
By the Numbers... (GPAC Rank / NAIA-if top 10)
Kills/Game: 14.2 (1st / 1st)
Hitting %: .290 (1st/5th)
Aces: 172 (2nd)
Digs/Set: 13.9 (11th)
Blocks/Set: 2.1 (6th)
Top Players:
Lauryn Hilger - 4.6 kills/set (1st/ 3rd), .338 (2nd), 2.9 digs/set, 41 aces (1st)
Makenzie Fink - 2.7 kills/set, .274%, 37 aces (4th)
Josie Blankespoor - 2.2 kills/set, .202%
Emily Van Ginkel - 2.0 kills/set, .278%, 84 blocks (9th)
Bekah Horstman - 1.6 kills/set, .381%, 95 blocks (7th)
Lacey Wacker - 11.8 assists/set (1st / 1st), 1.9 digs/set
Emily Strasser - 3.9 digs/set (6th), 32 aces
