Game Time... The Northwestern College volleyball team continues its 2020 fall season when they host Midland this weekend at the Bultman Center. First serve is set for 5pm. The Raiders five seniors, Makenzie Fink, A.J. Kacmarynski, Lacey Reitz, Emily Van Ginkel and Anna Wedel, will be recognized prior to the varsity match.

The Raiders are second in the current GPAC standings with a 10-2 record, 12-2 overall, with four matches left in the regular season. Midland is tied with Hastings for fifth place in the GPAC with a 6-5 record, 7-6 overall. 

    Follow the match live via the following links: Watch / Listen Now | Live Stats

All-Time...Northwestern has the edge in the rivalry, owning a 49-13 overall record, heading into this weekend's match-up. The Raiders have won three straight and are 6-4 in their last 10 matches against Midland. 

Scouting Reports...

    Midland: 6-5 (T5th), 7-6 overall                    Head Coach: Paul Giesselmann (11th year)

The Warriors are playing their best volleyball heading into Saturday's match against the Raiders. They have won three straight, five of their last six, to climb into a tie for fifth place with Hastings in the current GPAC standings. Midland's lone loss during this time was a 3-1 setback against Jamestown and they have wins over Dordt, College of Saint Mary, Mount Marty, Morningside and Briar Cliff.

Long-time coach, Paul Giesselmann, is in his 11th season with Midland and holds the most wins (227) in program history. He also guided the Warriors to a school record 37 wins in 2013 and has guided teams to six national tournaments (2013-18) in his time with Midland. Last year, Midland finished fourth in the GPAC with a 10-6 record, 19-10 overall, and just missed qualifying for the national tournament. They received votes in the final poll.

    By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Hitting % - .222 (4th)
    Kills / Set - 13.7 (3rd)
    Aces / Set - 1.5 (2nd)
    Blocks / Set - 1.7 (9th)
    Digs / Set - 15.9 (7th)

    Individual Leaders (GPAC / NAIA rank - if top 10)
    Taliyah Flores (all-conf / GPAC Libero of Year) - 3.3 kills (3rd), .237%, 12 aces, 3.3 digs/set
    Sydney Morehouse (all-conf) - 2.6 kills/set, .256%, 35 blocks
    Maggie Hiatt (all-conf) - 2.9 kills/set, .238%, 33 blocks
    Hope Leimbach - 11.7 assists/set (2nd/3rd), 13 aces, 2.6 digs/set
    Jaisa Russell - 3.9 digs/set (10th)

Northwestern Notes: 10-2 (2nd in GPAC), 12-2 overall            Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (16th year)
With four matches left in the regular season, Northwestern is in second place in the GPAC with a 10-2 record, 12-2 overall. They had their eight-match win streak snapped last time out, dropping a four-set match to Dordt on Tuesday night.

    By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Hitting % - .272 (1st/6th)
    Kills / Set - 14.1 (2nd/5th)
    Aces / Set - 1.1 (8th)
    Blocks / Set - 2.3 (4th)
    Digs / Set - 16.7 (4th)

    Individual Leaders (GPAC / NAIA rank - if top 10)
    Anna Wedel (2x All-American) - 3.8 kills/set (1st), .263%, 3.0 digs/set
    Makenzie Fink (All-American) - 3.1 kills/set (3rd), .335% (3rd), 11 aces
    Emily Van Ginkel (2x all-conf) - 2.5 kills/set, .276% (10th), 52 blocks (10th)
    A.J. Kacmarynski (All-American, 3x all-conf) - 2.7 kills/set, .238%
    Lacey Reitz (2x All-American) - 11.9 assists/set (1st/2nd)
    Emily Strasser (2x all-conf) - 4.8 digs/set (5th)

This year's senior class has compiled an overall record of 118-36, winning 77% of their matches, over the last four-plus seasons. They are 63-13 in the GPAC, winning/sharing two GPAC regular season titles and qualifiying for the national tournament the last three years. 
    Makenzie Fink - All-American, 3x All-Conf; 1,123 kills (2.8/set), 119 aces, 490 digs, 204 blocks
    A.J. Kacmarynski - All-American, 3x All-Conf; 1,219 kills (2.9/set), 130 aces, 640 digs (1.5/set), 233 blocks
    Lacey Reitz - 2x NAIA Scholar Athlete, CoSIDA Academic All-American, 2x All-American, 3x All-Conf, 2x GPAC Setter of the Year; 121 aces, 4,836 assists (11.7), 2 digs/set, 140 blocks
    Emily Van Ginkel - 2x NAIA Scholar Athlete, 2x all-conf; 559 kills (1.9/set), 286 blocks (1.0/set)
    Anna Wedel - 2x NAIA Scholar Athlete, NAIA Player of the Year, 2x All-American, GPAC Player of the Year - 1,177 kills (3.8/set), 2.4 digs/set, 196 blocks