A.J. Kacmarynski put down a match-high 12 kills in leading second-ranked Northwestern to a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-5, 25-16) over Mount Marty in a conference match-up played tonight in Yankton, S.D. 

The Red Raiders earned their second win against Mount Marty this season and improved to 7-0 in the GPAC, 19-0 overall. The Lancers drop their fifth straight match and fall to 0-7 in the GPAC, 7-15 overall. 

Kacmarynski and Anna Wedel combined for 23 kills to lead the Red Raider offense. Kacmarynski hit an impressive 58% over the three sets. Makenzie Fink, the reigning NAIA Attacker of the Week, hit .412 and put down nine kills to go with a season-best five aces. Emily Van Ginkel (5 kills, 3 blocks) and Bekah Horstman (4 kills, 6 blocks) round out the Red Raiders balanced attack. 

The match began with a tight, back-and-forth first set that featured 12 ties and four lead changes. Tied for the final time at 20-20, Northwestern scored five of the next seven points to get a 25-22 win. The Red Raiders hit 28% compared to 23% by Mount Marty; both teams recorded two blocks.

Set two was all Northwestern from the start as Lacey Wacker served 11 consecutive points and forced the Lancers into using both timeouts. The Red Raiders hit a remarkable 81% (13 kills, 0 errors, 16 attacks) and limited Mount Marty to -13%. Northwestern also served four aces in set two. 

Northwestern hit 46% during the final set and pulled away late with a 10-2 run.

Wacker put up 36 assists and Wedel led all player with 10 digs for her eighth double-double of the season.

Mount Marty was led by Mikaela Ahrendt, who put down seven of her team-high eight kills in the first set.