16th-ranked Northwestern College finished with a perfect 3-0 record at the Missouri Valley Invite played this weekend in Marshall, Mo. The Red Raiders swept both Avila (Mo.) and the host team, Missouri Valley, on Friday night, and then came back with a dominate straight set win over Stephens (Mo.) on Saturday. 

Northwestern improved to 10-3 on the season.

The Red Raiders outhit their opponent 33% - 10% for the weekend, totaling 122 kills compared to 80 by their three opponents. Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch's squad also had a commanding edge in ace serves (34-8) and blocking (22-3) as they did not drop a set in the three wins. Northwestern totaled 20 ace serves in Saturday's win over Stephens College, one shy of the program record set in a match against Hastings in 2001. 

Lauryn Hilger put away a team-high 28 kills, averaging four per set, and totaled eight aces over the two-day tournament. Makenzie Fink put down 2.6 kills per set and hit .326 while Emily Van Ginkel averaged nearly two kills per set and put down a team-leading 12 blocks. Lacey Wacker directed the Red Raider offense, lofting up 11.4 assists per set to go with seven aces and 1.6 digs per set. Emily Strasser was effective in the back row, going 31-for-31 in serve receive and averaging 5.3 digs. 

    vs Avila  3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-18)

Van Den Bosch's squad hit better than .350 in all three sets to sweep the Eagles early Friday evening. Hilger led the way with 13 kills and nine digs and Fink put down nine kills. Both Bekah Horstman and Josie Blankespoor added eight kills each for the Red Raiders while Wacker put up 41 assists. 

Northwestern led from start to finish in the first set but rallied from an early deficit in each of the final two sets. 

    vs Missouri Valley  3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-22)

Northwestern used a substantial advantage at the net to sweep the host team, Missouri Valley, Friday night. The Red Raiders totaled 42 kills and 11 blocks compared to 34 kills and zero blocks in the three set match. Hilger (15 kills) and Fink (9 kills) once again led the Red Raiders and Van Ginkel and Blankespoor were tops in blocking, assisting on eight and five, respectively.  Wacker (36 assists) and Strasser (22 digs) were the other stat leaders. 

    vs Stephens   3-0  (25-10, 25-11, 25-13)

Jessica Harald totaled a career-best nine kills and hit .533 in leading the Red Raiders to a 3-0 sweep over Stephens in the final match. Northwestern served 20 aces, one shy of its record, led by Hilger with six and a career-best four by Strasser.

Northwestern continues GPAC play with a pair of road matches this week, beginning with Dordt College on Tuesday night, Sept. 11, in Sioux Center, Iowa.