Game Time... GPAC rivals will meet once again as Northwestern play at Dordt for the 2018 GPAC Volleyball Championship on Saturday night, Nov. 10. First serve between the match-up between top 10 teams is set for 7pm. Northwestern, ranked ninth in the NAIA and seeded second in the GPAC Tournament, brings a 24-6 record into the weekend. Fifth-ranked Dordt, the GPAC regular season champion and top seed in the tournament, is 26-2 overall.

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The Rivalry...Since the 1989 season, Northwestern holds a slight 44-43 edge in the all-time series. The Red Raiders are 3-7 over the last 10 and have lost four straight against Dordt. 

GPAC Tournament History...This will be the eighth time the rivals have played in the GPAC Postseason Tournament (since 2000) with Northwestern posting a 2-5 record heading into Saturday's match-up. 

    Prior Meetings in GPAC Tournament:
    2001 - GPAC Title (NW loss)
    2003 - GPAC Semi's (NW loss)
    2004 - GPAC Semi's (NW loss)
    2006 - GPAC Title (NW loss)
    2009 - GPAC Title (NW win)
    2011 - GPAC Quarter's (NW win)
    2017 - GPAC Semi's (NW loss)

Northwestern is 3-5 all-time in the GPAC Championship match, winning the title in 2009, 2010 and 2014. They were the runner-up in 2001, 2006-08 and 2013.

Dordt is 6-2 all-time in the GPAC Title match, winning in 2000, 2001, 2003-06 and runner-up in 2002 and 2017.

Earlier This Season...Northwestern has dropped both matches to Dordt this season, losing in four sets (15-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-19) in Sioux Center on Sept. 11, and falling in a five-set thriller at the Bultman Center on Oct. 23 (26-28, 18-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-12). 

    Sept. 11 Recap |    Oct. 23 Recap

     By the Numbers in the Two Matches:
     Hitting Percentage:     NW - .236        Dordt - .254
     Kills / Set:                   NW - 12           Dordt - 13.3
     Aces:                          NW - 12           Dordt - 16
     Blocks / Set:               NW - 1.78        Dordt - 1.89

    Individual Leaders in the Two Matches:
    NW-Lauryn Hilger - 4.5 kills/set, .365%, 3 aces, 2.3 digs/set
           Bekah Horstman - 2.3 kills/set, .541%, 6 blocks
           Makenzie Fink - 1.7 kills/set, .100%, 5 aces, 3 blocks
           Emily Van Ginkel - 1.7 kills/set, .093%, 7 blocks
           Lacey Wacker - 10.5 assists/set, 1.4 digs/set
           Emily Strasser - 3 aces, 3.2 digs/set

    Dordt - Ema Altena - 3.8 kills/set, .221%, 6 aces, 1.9 digs/set, 7 blocks
                Leah Kamp - 2.1 kills/set, .261%, 11 blocks
                Julia Lindbergh - 2.4 kills/set, .378%
                Jessi De Jager - 2.1 kills/set, .220%, 5 blocks
                Jamie De Jager - 10.9 assists/set, 3 aces, 1.4 digs/set
                Aubrey Drake - 3 aces, 3.7 digs/set

Scouting Reports...

    #5 Dordt - 16-0 (1st), 26-2                    Head Coach: Chad Hanson (8th year)

The Defenders have won 20 straight matches and have dropped just seven sets during their current streak. They won the GPAC regular season title with a perfect 16-0 record and are 26-2 overall, losing to #2 Grand View and #8 Rocky Mountain.

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: 13.9 (2nd / 6th)
        Hitting %: .258 (2nd / 9th)
        Aces: 140 (5th)
        Digs/Set: 16 (4th)
        Blocks/Set: 2.5 (1st / 4th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Ema Altena - 2x All-American, 3x All-Conference; 4 kills/set, .281% (9th), 2.4 digs/set, 67 blocks
        Julia Lindbergh - All-Conference; 2 kills/set, .234%, 32 blocks
        Leah Kamp - All-Conference; 2.8 kills/set, .319% (4th), 84 blocks
        Ally Krommendyk - All-Conference - 2.2 kills/set, .298% (8th), 94 blocks (3rd / 5th)
        Jamie De Jager - 2x All-American, 3x All-Conference; 10.9 assists/set (2nd/7th), 29 aces, 2.3 digs/set
        Aubrey Drake - 5.2 digs/set (2nd), 17 aces

No.9 Northwestern Notes - 13-3 (T2nd), 24-6       Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (14th year)

The Red Raiders path to Saturday's championship went through Doane (3-0) in the quarterfinals followed by a 3-1 win over #14 Hastings on Wednesday night. They are 24-6 heading into Saturday's match, reaching 20+ wins for the 12th time under Van Den Bosch. Northwestern will earn an auto bid into the NAIA Championship, qualifying for the 14th time overall and ninth under Van Den Bosch. 

By the Numbers... (GPAC Rank / NAIA-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 14.2 (1st / 1st)
        Hitting %: .294 (1st/4th)
        Aces: 178 (2nd)
        Digs/Set: 13.9 (9th)
        Blocks/Set: 2.1 (7th)

     Top Players:
        Lauryn Hilger - 4.6 kills/set (1st/ 3rd), .342 (2nd), 2.8 digs/set, 41 aces (1st)
        Makenzie Fink - 2.7 kills/set, .291% (8th), 38 aces (3rd)
        Emily Van Ginkel - 2.0 kills/set, .280%, 87 blocks (9th)
        Bekah Horstman - 1.6 kills/set, .384%, 98 blocks (7th)
        Lacey Wacker - 11.8 assists/set (1st / 1st), 1.9 digs/set
        Emily Strasser - 3.8 digs/set (6th), 33 aces