Lauryn Hilger and Makenzie Fink both established career-highs in kills in leading No.7 Northwestern to a four-set win over Hope International (Calif.) in the first match of the GoSarpy.Com Invite played on the campus of Bellevue University in Bellevue, Neb. 

Individual game scores were 22-25, 25-14, 27-25 and 26-24. The Red Raiders won their third consecutive match and improve to 6-1 on the season.

Hilger hit a team-best .378 and put down a career-best 24 kills in 45 attacks to lead the Red Raiders. The senior has three matches with 20+ kills and has hit for double figures in six of the seven matches. Hilger added 13 digs for her third double-double. Fink nearly matched Hilger with a career-night of her own, totaling 23 kills in 48 attempts, hitting .292 on the leftside. The sophomore tallied 12 digs, her first double-double of the season.

Game One:
A kill and three straight service points by Fink put Northwestern up 20-15 late in the first set. Hope International followed with an 8-0 run, using the serve of Emree Sato, to force the Red Raiders to use both timeouts. With the Royals up 23-20, the teams traded points until a Northwestern error put HIU on top 25-22. Northwestern had a slim 15% - 11% in kill efficiency.

Game Two:
Northwestern hit a match-best 42% and led from start to finish its 25-14 win in set two. Allison Koehlmoos served seven consecutive points as the Red Raiders stormed out to a 10-2 lead. Fink (8 kills) and Hilger (7 kills) accounted for 15 of the 16 Red Raider kills. 

Game Three: 
After falling behind early, Northwestern outscored Hope International 9-3, capped by a kill from Hilger, to take a 13-10 lead. The teams traded points over the next while, until, with Northwestern leading 23-20, the Royals scored four straight points to take a 24-23 advantage. The score was then tied at both 24 and 25, the later after a kill by Fink, and then Northwestern scored the final two points on kills by Hilger to take a 2-1 set lead. The Red Raiders held the advantage in hitting, 13% - 9%. 

Game Four: 
Like the third set, Northwestern fell behind early in set four, trailing by as many as three (7-4, 12-9 and 15-12). Successful attacks by Hilger and Emily Van Ginkel brought the Red Raiders within one but Hope International answered with a small run to go up 22-20. Still down two (24-22) and facing set point, Northwestern scored the final four points on a kill by Hilger and three straight blocks involving Bekah Horstman and Lacey Wacker.

By the Numbers...

Northwestern outhit the Royals in every set and hit .231 for the match compared to 12% for HIU. Horstman contributed a career-best 10 assisted blocks and hit .375 (3 kills, 8 attacks) while Emily Strasser set a career high with 25 digs. Wacker directed the Red Raider offense and lofted up 53 assists. 

The Royals were led by Camryn Rowell with 13 kills and Natalie Hadder with 11. 

Northwestern will play University of Providence (Mont.) and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) on Friday at the Invite.