Game Time...Northwestern College will make its 2018 debut against No.19 Corban (Ore.) in an early season showdown between ranked teams on Thursday night, August 23, at the Bultman Center. First serve between the two highly ranked squad is set for 7pm. Northwestern is ranked No.7 in the NAIA preseason coaches' poll and picked to finish second in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) preseason coaches' poll. Corban is off to a 2-2 start to the 2018 season and is 19th in the NAIA preseason coaches' poll. 

Follow the match live, via the NWC webcast and Stretch Internet, at this link: Watch Now!

All-Time...The Red Raiders are 0-1 all-time against Corban, losing to the Warriors in a five-set thriller last year at the Red Raider Classic, 25-21, 27-29, 25-23, 23-25, 18-16.

Scouting Reports...

    No.19 Corban (Ore.) Warriors: 2-2         Head Coach: Kim McLain (4th year)

The Warriors are off to a 2-2 start in this young 2018 season, earning a pair of five-set wins over 12th-ranked Montana Tech and Carroll, and dropping matches to Lewis-Clark State and (RV) Morningside. They lost to the Mustangs on Wednesday night in Sioux City, 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20. 

Hired in November of 2014, Kim McLain begins her fourth season as head coach and has guided the Warriors to back-to-back 20+ win seasons and trips to the NAIA National Championship Final Site. They reached the round of 16 in 2016 and advanced to the quarterfinals, their best finish in school history, last season before losing to eventual national champion Lindsey Wilson (Ky.). Two All-Americans and four all-conference players graduated as Coach McLain returns just four players from the 2017 team. 

By the Numbers (2018 season):
    Kills/Game: 9.7
    Hitting %: .142
    Aces: 19
    Digs: 12.7
    Blocks: 22.5

    Individual Leaders (2018 season): 
    Adriana Aguayo (returning starter; top returning hitter)-3.1 kills/set, .316%
    Demi Winters (returning starter, top returning blocker)-1.7 kills/set, .316%, 12 blocks
    Cassie Cunningham-1.6 kills/set, .101%, 2 blocks
    Cierra Leopoldino-(returning starter; 2nd in assists in 2017)-4.33 assists/set, 1.2 digs, 6 aces
    Lauren Condon (returning starter, top player in digs in 2017)-1.5 digs/set
    Madison Pfaff-3.2 digs/ set

    T7. Northwestern College Red Raiders: 0-0       Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (14th year)

        2018 Volleyball Media Guide | 

    Kyle Van Den Bosch is set to begin his 14th season as the head of the Red Raider volleyball program, owning a 371-109 overall record and winning nearly 80% of his matches. Van Den Bosch is second all-time in program wins (trailing Mike Meyer w/ 452) and owns the highest win percentage in the program. He has guided Red Raider teams to six GPAC regular season titles and three postseason championships, most recently in 2017 when they shared the conference regular season title with Dordt and Hastings. Northwestern qualified for its 13th overall NAIA National Championship, eighth under Van Den Bosch, where they advance out of pool play before losing to Westmont in the round of 16 to finish with a 30-6 overall record. Six starters return from the 2017 team, including two All-Americans and five all-conference players.

    By the Numbers (2017 season; GPAC rank / NAIA rank):
    Kills/Game: 13.5
    Hitting %: .280 (1st / 4th)
    Aces: 272 (1st / 5th)
    Digs: 13.4 (11th)
    Blocks: 258.5 (7th)

    Individual Leaders (2018 season): 
    Anna Kiel-NAIA All-American; All-Conference: 3.4 kills/set, .362%, 2 digs/set, 105 blocks
    A.J. Horstman-NAIA All-American, All-Conference (2x); 2.8 kills/set, .260% 47 aces, 2.1 digs/set, 86 blocks
    Lauryn Hilger-NAIA All-American (2016), All-Conference (3x); 2.6 kills/set, .273%, 35 aces, 2.8 digs/set
    Makenzie Fink-All-Conference; 2.5 kills/set, 37 aces, 1.9 digs/set
    Josie Blankespoor-1.3 kills/set, 123 blocks
    Lacey Wacker-All-Conference/GPAC Freshman of the Year, 11.2 assists/set, 38 aces, 1.7 digs/set