Game Time...Fresh of a 3-0 home win over Dakota Wesleyan, 15th-ranked Northwestern heads to Seward, Neb. to play Concordia for a conference match-up this weekend. First serve on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Walz Arena is scheduled for 5pm. Northwestern has won three straight, all in GPAC play, and is 4-1 in the league, 13-4 overall. Concordia brings a 2-4 conference record, 12-4 overall into Saturday's match-up. 

Follow the match live via the NWC webcast at the following link: Watch Live!    Live Stats | 

All-Time...Northwestern won both match-ups played last season and is 8-2 over the last 10 meetings against Concordia. The Red Raiders lead the all-time series 39-8, dating back to the 1989 season.

Scouting Reports...

    Concordia Bulldogs: 2-4 (8th), 12-4 overall            Head Coach: Ben Boldt (1st year)

After a 12-match win streak at the start of the season, the Bulldogs have dropped four straight, heading into Saturday night's match-up against the Red Raiders. They have lost to GPAC rivals and ranked teams; Midland, Morningside, Doane and Hastings, all by 3-1 scores, over the last two weeks. They own wins over two ranked teams, a 3-0 win over Kansas Wesleyan and a four-set win over McPherson.

Hired in December of 2017, Boldt is in the midst of his first season as the head of the Bulldogs' volleyball program. Boldt spent the previous two years as the head coach at Hendrix College (NCAA D-III) and also has experience coaching at several D-I schools, including Alabama, Iowa and Nebraska. He inherits a Concordia team that finished tied with DWU for eighth place in the GPAC with a 3-13 record, 9-19 overall in 2017. 

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 12.7 (6th)
        Hitting %: .231 (3rd)
        Aces: 87 (5th)
        Digs/Set: 15.7 (6th)
        Blocks/Set: 2.2 (5th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Jenna Habegger  3.3 kills/set (9th), .252%, 15 blocks
        Emmie Noyd (2nd team all-GPAC)  2.7 kills/set, .324% (3rd), 53 blocks (4th)
        Alex La Plant (HM All-GPAC) 2.1 kills/set, .157%, 13 blocks
        Tara Callahan (HM All-GPAC)  5.3 assists/set (7th), 39 blocks
        Marissa Hoerman  9 aces, 4.63 digs/set (4th)

#15 Northwestern College Red Raiders:  4-1 (GPAC), 13-4 overall        Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (14th year)

The Red Raiders have won three straight and are off to a 7-1 start in the month of September. They are tied for third in the current GPAC standings with a 4-1 record, 13-4 overall. Northwestern is 2-3 against ranked teams, earning wins over Corban and Jamestown. They have not dropped a set since the match against 12th-ranked Dordt on Sept. 11.

By the Numbers (Conference Rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 14.2 (1st / 4th)
        Hitting %: .286% (1st / 5th)
        Aces: 115 (1st)
        Digs/Set: 13.9 (7th)
        Blocks/Set: 1.9 (9th)

     Top Players (Conf / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Lauryn Hilger (3x all-conference)  4.6 kills/set (2nd / 4th), 30 aces (1st), 2.7 digs/set
        Makenzie Fink (All-Conference)  2.5 kills/set, .244%, 21 aces (6th), 1.1 digs/set
        Emily Van Ginkel  1.9 kills/set, .259%, 41 blocks
        Bekah Horstman  1.6 kills/set, .388%, 47 blocks (10th)
        Lacey Wacker (All-Conference / GPAC Freshman of Year)  11.8 assists/set (1st /1st), 13 aces, 2.1 digs/set
        Emily Strasser  17 aces, 3.9 digs/set (8th)