Second-ranked Northwestern stayed unbeaten on the season with a 3-0 sweep (32-30, 25-17, 25-23) over 11th-ranked University of Jamestown in match played in Jamestown, N.D. The Red Raiders now hold a 2.5 game lead in the GPAC standing over Jamestown, improving to 11-0 in the conference, 23-0 overall.Â
Playing for the third time in six days and coming off back-to-back five-set matches against ranked teams, Dordt and Midland, Northwestern hit .243 and held a 13-7 blocking advantage against the Jimmies, one of the top blocking teams in the NAIA.
Makenzie Fink led the Red Raiders with 13 kills, hitting for double figures for the 14th time this season.
Anna Wedel put down 11 kills and
Bekah Horstman and
Emily Van Ginkel both added six kills. Horstman and Van Ginkel played a big role in the blocking efforts, leading the Red Raiders with five and three blocks, respectively.Â
Northwestern overcame an early three-point deficit to pull ahead by one, 10-9, after back-to-back aces by
A.J. Kacmarynski. The teams traded points over the next while until a 4-0 run put Northwestern in front 20-17 on a kill by Horstman. With Northwestern still up by three (22-19), Jamestown stormed back with a 4-0 run and the set remained very close thereafter. The score was tied nine more times and both teams had four set points until Northwestern strung together back-to-back points on a kill from Wedel and an error by the Jimmies to give NWC a 32-30 win.
The Red Raiders turned a 7-5 deficit into an 11-7 lead to take control in set two. Holding a commanding edge on both sides of the net, Northwestern went on to win set two 25-17 and go up 2-0.Â
Northwestern fell behind by six in the third and final set only to come back and take its first lead, 16-15, after three straight kills by Van Ginkel, Kacmarynski and Fink. Tied at every number until 23-23, Northwestern won the final two points on errors by the Jimmies.Â
Lacey Wacker put up 31 assists and five digs while
Emily Strasser led the backrow efforts with 15 digs.
Jamestown, now 8-2 in the GPAC, 20-4 overall, was led by Corina Ruud with 10 kills, hitting over .350 for the match.