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Women's Volleyball NWC Athletic Communications

Top-Seeded Red Raiders Set to Host Doane in GPAC Quarterfinals

NWC is the No. 1-seed for the first time since 2019

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – After a grueling Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) 16-match regular season schedule with five teams consistently ranked inside the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) top-25, the top-seeded Northwestern College volleyball team (23-2, 14-2 GPAC) is set to host the No. 8-seed Doane Tigers (8-18, 6-10 GPAC) in the Quarterfinals of the GPAC Tournament on Saturday, November 4.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
It came down to the final night of the regular season to sort out the top-three seeds between Concordia (Neb.), Jamestown, and Northwestern. Entering the final night of the regular season, it was the Red Raiders who controlled their own destiny as a win, of any kind, over Briar Cliff would clinch the top-seed in the GPAC Tournament and the league's first automatic berth to the NAIA national tournament. Northwestern's 21st sweep of the season, over Briar Cliff, clinched the top-seed and a share of the GPAC Regular Season Title on Tuesday night in Sioux City.
Doane enters the GPAC Tournament with an 8-18 (6-10 GPAC) record, finishing two games ahead of Hastings for the final spot in this year's tournament. The Tigers come into the match on a winning note, taking the final match of the regular season in four sets from the Mount Marty Lancers on Halloween.

REGULAR SEASON MEETING

October 6 | NWC 3, Doane 0 | Crete, Neb.
Northwestern took care of business against Doane in straight sets to open the month of October back on October 6 in Crete, Nebraska. NWC hit at a clip of .226 in the win, while holding the Tigers to an .088 mark. Alysen Dexter (Urbandale, Iowa) led the match with her 14 kills, while Liv Reitsma (So., Papillion, Neb.) dished out a team-high 15 assists. Zavyr Metzger (So., Larchwood, Iowa) and Macay Van't Hul (Jr., Rock Valley, Iowa) both notched four blocks in the match, while Olivia Granstra (Jr., Sheldon, Iowa) led the team with her 10 digs.

In the match, junior Dexter tallied her 1,000th kill in a Red Raider uniform.

NORTHWESTERN NOTABLES
  • NWC leads the NAIA in blocks per set as a team (3.51), while Zavyr Metzger leads all NAIA individuals with her 1.98 blocks per set mark.
  • Metzger continues to lead all four-year collegiate volleyball divisions (NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, NCCAA DI, DII) in blocks per set.
  • October was a phenomenal month for the Red Raiders, as they blocked at an impressive clip of 3.74 blocks per set; the highest of the three full months of the season (Aug., 2.80; Sept., 3.62).
  • The Red Raiders completed two undefeated months this season: August (5-0) and October (8-0).
  • NWC enters the GPAC tournament winners of nine-straight matches.
  • NWC's 21 sweeps sits fifth in program history.
  • Jazlin De Haan sits second in the GPAC and third in the NAIA in kills per set (4.67).
  • Alysen Dexter leads the GPAC in service aces (47) and sits 11th in the NAIA in aces per set (0.58).
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
  • A trio of Tigers average 2+ kills per set, led by Frankie Curren-Graff (Jr.) at 2.55 kills per set.
  • Camdyn Carpenter (Fr.) paces the team with her 8.36 assists per set.
  • Anna Sluka leads the team with her 25 service aces.
RED RAIDERS IN THE GPAC TOURNAMENT
  • Since the GPAC became the GPAC (2000-01 season), NWC has earned a berth to the conference tournament in every season.
  • 2023 marks the 24th-straight GPAC tournament berth.
  • Since 2005 (under VDB), NWC holds a 23-15 record in the GPAC tournament.
  • Van Den Bosch has led NWC to three tournament titles: 2009, 2010, 2014.
TICKET INFORMATION
Admission will be charged for admission into the Bultman Center. There is not an advance ticketing option, all tickets are sold at the gate.

Adults will be charged $10, K-College students will be charged $3, and children under the Kindergarten age will have no charge. All GPAC students will receive free admittance to the matches with the showing of their institutional ID. All faculty and staff at GPAC schools will be required to pay for entry, per the conference office.

Only NAIA passes will be accepted at the gate, no institutional passes will be accepted for the entirety of the conference tournament.

GPAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals – Saturday, November 4
No. 1-seed Northwestern vs. No. 8-seed Doane (7:00 PM, Orange City, Iowa)
No. 4-seed Midland vs. No. 5-seed College of Saint Mary (7:00 PM, Fremont, Neb.)
No. 3-seed Jamestown vs. No. 6-seed Morningside (7:00 PM, Jamestown, N.D.)
No. 2-seed Concordia (Neb.) vs. No. 7-seed Dakota Wesleyan (7:30 PM, Seward, Neb.)

Semifinals – Wednesday, November 8
Winner of Northwestern/Doane vs. Winner of Midland/College of Saint Mary
Winner of Jamestown/Morningside vs. Winner of Concordia/Dakota Wesleyan

Championship – Saturday, November 11
Semifinal winners at highest remaining seed

GAME INFORMATION
Saturday's match will be held inside the Bultman Center on the campus of Northwestern College. For live stream, match notes, and live stats, visit nwcraiders.com or navigate to the links above.

The winner of the match will go on to face the winner of No. 5-seed College of Saint Mary (22-7, 10-6 GPAC) and No. 4-seed Midland (14-10, 10-6 GPAC) on Wednesday, November 8 with the highest remaining seed hosting the match.

Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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Players Mentioned

Jazlin Douma

#13 Jazlin Douma

OH
5' 11"
Junior
Alysen Dexter

#11 Alysen Dexter

OH
6' 0"
Junior
Olivia Granstra

#4 Olivia Granstra

DS
5' 7"
Junior
Zavyr Metzger

#10 Zavyr Metzger

MH
6' 1"
Sophomore
Liv Reitsma

#9 Liv Reitsma

S
5' 8"
Sophomore
Macay Van

#14 Macay Van't Hul

MH
6' 1"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Jazlin Douma

#13 Jazlin Douma

5' 11"
Junior
OH
Alysen Dexter

#11 Alysen Dexter

6' 0"
Junior
OH
Olivia Granstra

#4 Olivia Granstra

5' 7"
Junior
DS
Zavyr Metzger

#10 Zavyr Metzger

6' 1"
Sophomore
MH
Liv Reitsma

#9 Liv Reitsma

5' 8"
Sophomore
S
Macay Van

#14 Macay Van't Hul

6' 1"
Junior
MH