Game Time... Following a busy weekend with three matches in two days in Bellevue, Neb., Northwestern will now switch its focus to league play as they head to Sioux City Tuesday night for a match-up against Briar Cliff in the GPAC opener for both teams. First serve at the Newman Flanagan Center is scheduled for 7:30pm. Northwestern owns a 6-3 overall record heading into Tuesday night while Briar Cliff is 3-1. 

Follow the game live, via the Briar Cliff webcast, at this link:  Watch Now!  

Listen live to the game, via the KSOU broadcast, at this link: Listen Now!

All-Time...Northwestern is 57-10 all-time against Briar Cliff, sweeping all three matches against the Chargers last year. 

Scouting Reports...

    Briar Cliff: 3-1                      Head Coach: Trevor Schirman (5th year)

The Chargers have been idle since opening the season with a 3-1 record at the Red Raider Classic on August 24-25. They swept John Brown and also earned wins over Presentation and Waldorf while losing to ninth-ranked Grand View. 

Schirman, in his fifth season as the head of the Chargers' volleyball program, returns three starters and six players from a 2017 team that finished seventh in the GPAC with an 8-8 record, 18-9 overall. BCU was picked to finish ninth in the conference preseason coaches' poll.

By the Numbers (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Kills/Game: 11.1 (12th)
        Hitting %: .171 (11th)
        Aces: 24 (10th)
        Digs/Set: 14.7 (10th)
        Blocks/Set: 1.75 (10th)

     Top Players (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
        Courtney Schafer - 2.4 kills/set, .233%
        Victoria Gonzalez - 2.4 kills/set, .239%, 6 blocks
        Analyse Stapleton - 2.2 kills/set, 10 blocks
        Grace Whitlaw - 16 blocks (T7th)
        Delaney Meyer (HM All-Conference) - 4.63 assists/set
        Danielle Coronado - 8 aces, 3.9 digs/set

    7th-ranked Northwestern: 6-3                Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (14th year)

The Red Raiders went 2-2 last week, defeating Peru State at home followed  by a 1-2 record at the GoSarpy.Com Invite held last weekend at Bellevue, Neb. Northwestern is 6-3 overall. 

By the Numbers...
        Kills/Game: 14.5 (1st / 4th)
        Hitting %: .264 (3rd)
        Aces: 58 (4th)
        Digs/Set: 14.8 (8th)
        Blocks/Set: 1.8 (9th)

     Top Players:
        Lauryn Hilger - 4.5 kills/set (2nd / 7th), .355 (3rd), 2.8 digs/set, 16 aces (T3rd)
        Makenzie Fink - 2.5 kills/set, .224%, 13 aces (9th), 1.5 digs/set
        Bekah Horstman - 1.4 kills/set, .345%, 28 blocks
        Lacey Wacker - 11.7 assists/set (1st / 2nd), 2.5 digs/set
        Emily Strasser - 3.5 digs/set, 7 aces

Up Next...Northwestern will play in its final tournament this weekend, the Missouri Valley Invite, beginning Friday night, Sept. 7, at 5pm.