Game Time...Less than 48 hours after a 3-0 win against Briar Cliff, the Northwestern Volleyball team return to its home court Wednesday night for a match-up against Dakota Wesleyan. First serve is scheduled for 7:30pm. The Raiders have won three consecutive matches and is in third place in the GPAC with a 5-1 record, 7-1 overall; Dakota Wesleyan is in seventh place in the conference at 4-5, 8-5 overall. 

    Follow the match live at the following link: Watch/Listen | Listen | Live Stats

All-Time...Since 1991, Northwestern is 37-1 all-time against DWU.

Last Time vs DWU...Anna Wedel put down a match-high 20 kills and both Taylor Meyer and Macay Van't Hul added 10 each in leading Northwestern to a four set win (20-25, 25-19, 25-14, 25-15) over Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D. on Sept. 30. 

Northwestern hit 8% and dropped the first set but hit over .300 the rest of the way while holding DWU to just 10%. Lacey Reitz put up 52 assists and four players, Emily Strasser, Olivia Granstra, Wedel and Reitz, posted double figures in digs. 

The host Tigers were led by Ady Dwight with 12 kills and two blocks.

Scouting Reports...

    Dakota Wesleyan Tigers: 4-5 (7th in GPAC), 8-5 overall            Head Coach: Lindsey Wilber (7th year)

The Tigers swept Presentation in a non-conference match last night, 25-8, 25-14 and 25-21. Freshman middle hitters Ady Dwight and McKenzie Buisker totaled 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Prior to that win, DWU lost three of its last four matches, losing to Jamestown, Morningside and Northwestern and defeating Midland in four sets. They are currently seventh in the GPAC with a 4-5 record. 8-5 overall.

Wilber is in the midst of her seventh season as the head of the DWU volleyball program and is nearing her 100th win (96 heading into Presentation match). Wilber's first season was 2014 and her DWU teams have seen gradual improvement nearly every year. She guided DWU to its best season in nearly 30 years in 2019 where they finished with a 20-12 record, 4-11 in the GPAC. Four starters and six players return from last year's squad. 

    By the Numbers (GPAC rank)
    Hitting % - .196 (7th)
    Kills / Set - 12.0 (9th)
    Aces - 51 (10th)
    Digs - 19.8 (2nd / 9th)
    Blocks - 1.9 (8th)

    Individual Leaders (GPAC rank)
    Ady Dwight - 2.8 kills/set, .241%, 50 blocks (9th)
    Mariah Gloe - 2.4 kills/set, .144%, 7 aces, 3.4 digs
    Makenzie Miller - 2.3 kills/set, .234%, 17 blocks
    Madeline Else - 10.3 assists/set (6th), 13 aces, 3.4 digs/set
    Sara Herman (All-Conf) - 6 aces, 3.1 digs/set
    Hanna Reiff - 5.5 digs/set (2nd)

    Northwestern Notes: 5-1 (GPAC), 7-1 overall               Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (16th year)

The Raiders have won three straight games, all within GPAC play, to climb up to third place in the current GPAC standings. They are 7-1 overall and have wins against Briar Cliff (2x) and previously unbeaten Concordia during their streak.

    By The Numbers (GPAC / NAIA rank)
    Hitting Percentage - .274 (1st / 5th)
    Kills / Set - 14 (2nd / 5th)
    Aces / Set - 1.2 (8th)
    Digs / Set - 16.5 (5th)
    Blocks / Set - 2.1 (7th)

    Top Players (GPAC rank)
    Anna Wedel - 4.2 kills/set (1st, 9th), .299% (6th), 3.1 digs/set
    Makenzie Fink - 2.7 kills/set, .319% (4th), 14 blocks
    Emily Van Ginkel - 2.6 kills/set, .259%, 28 blocks
    Lacey Reitz - 11.9 assists/set (1st / 2nd), 5 aces, 2.5 digs/set
    Emily Strasser - 4.3 digs/set (10th), 95% serve receive