Anna Wedel hit for a match-high 12 kills and Makenzie Fink added 11 in leading No.2 Northwestern to a 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-21) sweep over Briar Cliff in a GPAC match-up played tonight in Sioux City. 

Northwestern improved to 4-0 in conference play, 15-0 overall; Briar Cliff dropped its third straight match and falls to 2-2 in the GPAC, 11-6 overall. 

The Red Raiders hit nearly .400 over the final two sets, .247 for the match, and held a 5-2 advantage in blocks. Fink hit 58%, totaling 11 kills in 19 attempts with no errors. Wedel hit 35% over the three sets and Emily Van Ginkel put down six kills in 12 attempts, hitting 42%. 

An early 5-0 run put the Red Raiders in front early, until, Briar Cliff came back with a 6-3 surge to tie the set late, 19-19. Wedel then put down three straight kills, followed by a BCU error, gave Northwestern a 23-19 advantage and a 25-22 win.

Briar Cliff held its largest lead of the match (3-0) early in set two. Northwestern stormed back with a 16-6 run and led by as many as nine (19-10) before the Chargers scored six consecutive points to get within three. Van Den Bosch's squad responded with six of the final eight points, led by junior A.J. Kacmarynski, who put down four kills and served an ace to give her team a 2-0 set lead.

A fast start pushed Northwestern out to an 8-3 lead and they never trailed in their 25-21 third set win.

Lacey Wacker put up 33 assists and Emily Strasser led the backrow play with 16 digs. 

Briar Cliff was led by Noel Phillips with 10 kills, the lone Chargers player in double figures.