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Women's Volleyball NWC Athletic Communications

Red Raiders and Bulldogs to Clash for GPAC Tournament Title

Northwestern on the hunt for their fourth GPAC tournament title under Van Den Bosch

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The top-two seeds of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) have advanced to the GPAC tournament championship match and will meet for the second time this season inside the Bultman Center when the No. 1-ranked Northwestern College volleyball team (25-2, 14-2 GPAC) plays host to No. 4-ranked Concordia (Neb.) (23-2, 14-2 GPAC) Saturday night.
 
SATURDAY'S THEME WILL BE A RED OUT INSIDE THE BULTMAN CENTER

HOW THEY GOT HERE
Northwestern won their 11th-straight game with a four-set victory over Midland on Wednesday night, improving to 7-2 on the season against National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) top-25 teams. Recording 19 or more blocks for the third time this season, the Red Raiders were able to top Midland for the second time this season. Led by 17 kills from Jazlin De Haan (Jr., Orange City, Iowa) and 13 from Alysen Dexter (Jr., Urbandale, Iowa) the two main attackers were able to help surpass the Midland block. Zavyr Metzger (So., Larchwood, Iowa) notched a new career-high with 12 blocks, while Emma Wesphal (So., Hull, Iowa) also set a new career-high with nine blocks.
The Bulldogs are coming off a sweep of No. 9-ranked Jamestown in the semifinals Wednesday night in Seward, Nebraska. Ashley Keck led the match with her 14 kills on a .364 hitting percentage. Camryn Opfer and Maddie Paulsen led the team with their four blocks a piece, as Concordia went on to pick up their 23rd win of the season.

REGULAR SEASON MEETING
October 14 | NWC 3, Concordia 0 | Orange City, Iowa
Like most opponents this season, Northwestern swept then No. 1-ranked Concordia inside the Bultman Center back on October 14. De Haan paced the match with her 13 kills, while Dexter and Macay Van't Hul (Jr., Rock Valley, Iowa) both notched eight. Metzger led the match with her six blocks and Van't Hul also added five in the effort. Olivia Granstra (Jr., Sheldon, Iowa) recorded a match-high 23 digs in the victory.

NORTHWESTERN NOTABLES
  • NWC leads the NAIA in blocks per set as a team (3.51), while Zavyr Metzger leads all NAIA individuals with her 2.00 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).
  • NWC looks for their 11th home win of the year on Wednesday.
  • The Red Raiders completed two undefeated months this season: August (5-0) and October (8-0).
  • NWC enters the GPAC championship match winners of 11-straight matches.
  • NWC's 22 sweeps sits fifth in program history.
  • The Red Raiders sit second in the GPAC in hitting percentage (.232).
  • Jazlin De Haan now leads the GPAC and third in the NAIA in kills per set (4.70).
  • Olivia Granstra moves up to second in the league in digs/set at 5.61.
  • Alysen Dexter leads the GPAC in service aces (49) and sits T13th in the NAIA in aces per set (0.56).
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
  • CUNE holds the fifth-best hitting percentage in the NAIA (.275) and averages a GPAC-best 14.76 kills per set.
  • Ashley Keck (So., OH) and Camryn Opfer (Sr., OH) leads the team with their 3.54 and 3.32 kills per set, respectively.
  • Five-time GPAC Setter of the Week Bree Burtwistle (Sr.) leads the GPAC with her 11.87 assists/set.
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 25-15 record in the GPAC tournament (through the GPAC semifinals).
  • 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 (3) vs. No. 8-seed Doane (0)
No. 4-seed Midland (3) vs. No. 5-seed College of Saint Mary (1)
No. 3-seed Jamestown (3) vs. No. 6-seed Morningside (0)
No. 2-seed Concordia (Neb.) (3) vs. No. 7-seed Dakota Wesleyan (0)

Semifinals – Wednesday, November 8
No. 1-seed Northwestern (3) vs. No. 4-seed Midland (1)
No. 2-seed Concordia (3) vs. No. 3-seed Jamestown (0)

Championship – Saturday, November 11
No. 2-seed Concordia vs. No. 1-seed Northwestern (7:30 PM, Orange City, Iowa)

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.
Both teams have clinched automatic bids from the GPAC for the 2023 NAIA national tournament, by way of Northwestern earning the top-seed in the GPAC tournament and with both Concordia and Northwestern making the GPAC Championship match.

CSC MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION WEEK (NOV. 8-14)
  • November 8-14 is College Sports Communicators (CSC) Membership Appreciation Week, presented by ESPN.
  • The NWC Athletic Communications staff – Steve Carlson (Director of Athletic Communications) and Bradley Laackmann (Assistant Director of Athletic Communications) – are proud members of CSC, the professional organization for athletic communications professionals of all varieties (SIDs, content creators, creatives, etc.).
  • "The week was created to show appreciation for athletic communicators and creatives … the celebration brings positive recognition to CSC members and their work promoting student-athletes and their institutions throughout all levels of intercollegiate athletics."
  • Use the hashtag #CelebrateCSC on social media!

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
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
Macay Van

#14 Macay Van't Hul

6' 1"
Junior
MH