Game Time...After a pair of "tune-up" matches this spring, the 7th-ranked Northwestern College volleyball team has its sites set on a lengthy postseason run which will begin this weekend when they host (RV) Hastings in the GPAC Quarterfinals. First serve on Saturday, April 3 is set for 3pm. 

GPAC Quarterfinal Match Info

7th-ranked / No.2 seed Northwestern (13-3, 17-3) vs. (RV) / No.7 seed Hastings (7-8, 9-9)
Saturday, April 3 | 3pm 
Bultman Center | Orange City, Iowa
Webcast / Live Stats: Video | Live Stats
Radio: Sioux County Radio, 93.9 FM
Tickets: --Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID's will be admitted free of charge.

Fan policy: Northwestern College will welcome fans for Saturday's match (up to 50 percent capacity). Per GPAC policy, fans are required to wear face coverings and are encouraged to distance themselves from other family groups.

2020 Great Plains Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Postseason Tournament Bracket...Jamestown earned the GPAC regular season automatic berth to the NAIA National Volleyball Championship. The Cypress Risk Management GPAC Volleyball Tournament winner (runner-up if Jamestown wins) also receives an automatic berth to the NAIA National Volleyball Championship. 

    GPAC Volleyball Quarterfinals – Saturday, April 3
    #8 Morningside at #1 Jamestown, 3pm
    #5 Midland at #4 Dordt, 7pm
    #6 Dakota Wesleyan at #3 Concordia, 3pm
    #7 Hastings at #2 Northwestern, 3pm

    GPAC Volleyball Semifinals – Wednesday, April 7
    Highest Seed Hosts
    #4/#5 Winner vs. #1/#8 Winner, 7pm
    #3/#6 Winner vs. #2/#7 Winner, 7pm

    GPAC Volleyball Championship - Saturday, April 10
    Semifinal Winners, At Highest Seed, TBA

The Rivalry...Northwestern owns a 30-27 advantage in a rivalry that dates back to the 1993 season. The Raiders have had the upper hand of late as well, winning four straight and are 7-3 in their last 10 matches against Hastings.

Earlier This Season...After dropping the first set 25-21, Northwestern won the final three sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-21) to earn a four-set win against the Broncos in a regular season match played last fall in Orange City. 

Northwestern had the edge in hitting percentage (24% - 19%) and blocks (13-6) while Hastings had the slight advantage in aces (3-2). The Raiders hit better than .300 during the final two sets.

The Raiders were led by the outside hitter duo of A.J. Kacmarynski (16 kills, .316) and Anna Wedel (14 kills, .250) while Makenzie Fink contributed nine kills. Emily Van Ginkel provided eight kills and hit nearly .400 while Lacey Reitz commanded the offense with 42 assists. Emily Strasser was the leader in the backrow with 26 digs. 

Hastings was led by Sydney Mullin and Emily Krolikowski with 13 kills each.

Scouting Reports...

(RV) Hastings Broncos: 7-8 (7th in GPAC), 9-9 overall        Head Coach: Alexandra Allard (2nd year)

The Broncos are one of seven teams from the GPAC recognized in the latest NAIA Coaches' poll and are 9-9 this season. They finished seventh during the regular season with a 7-8 record and have played just one match this spring, defeating McPherson (Kan.) in four sets.

Allard is in her second year as head coach, coming to the Broncos in 2019 after serving as an assistant for University of Incarnate Word in Texas. Allard returns six players from their rotation, eight total, from a 2019 team that finished ninth in the GPAC with a 6-10 record, 11-15 overall. They missed out on the conference tournament. Hastings won the national title in 2016 with a 33-3 mark.

    By the Numbers (GPAC / NAIA rank)
    Hitting Percentage - .215 (7th)
    Kills / Set - 12.2 (9th)
    Aces / Set - .95 (11th)
    Blocks / Set - 2.9 (1st / 3rd)
    Digs / Set - 14.5 (11th)

    Top Players (GPAC / NAIA rank)
    Lucy Skoch (3x all-conf) - 3 kills/set (9th), .269%, 1.1 blocks/set (5th)
    Emily Krolikowski - 2.7 kills/set, .234%, 38 blocks
    Marlee Taylor - 2 kills/set, .22%, 37 blocks
    Amani Monroe (all-conf)  - 95 blocks (2nd / 10th)
    Makenna Asher - 5.9 assists/set, 2.1 digs/set
    Ireland Currey - 4.1 digs/set

    7th-ranked / No.2 Northwestern Red Raiders: 13-3 (2nd GPAC, 17-3)   Head Coach: Kyle Van Den Bosch (16th season)

Northwestern won both of its spring matches, defeating No.20 Viterbo (3-0) and No.11 Grand View (3-1), to bring a 17-3 overall record into Saturday's quarterfinal.
   
    By the Numbers (GPAC / NAIA)
    Hitting Percentage - .265 (1st / 4th)
    Kills / Set - 13.3 (5th)
    Aces - 96 (5th)
    Digs / Set - 15.7 (7th)
    Blocks / Set - 2.3 (4th)

    Individual Leaders (GPAC / NAIA)
    Anna Wedel - 3.7 kills/set (1st), .250%, 2.9 digs/set
    Makenzie Fink - 2.9 kills.set, .331% (3rd)
    Lacey Reitz - 11.3 assists/set (2nd / 4th), 2.3 digs/set
    Emily Van Ginkel - 2.3 kills/set, .283 (7th), 1 block/set
    A.J. Kacmarynski - 2.5 kills/set, 229%
    Emily Strasser - 4.6 digs/set (7th), 95% serve receive
    Taylor Meyer - 21 aces (4th)
    Olivia Granstra - 2.1 digs /set, 94% serve receive