ORANGE CITY, Iowa - Northwestern hit their postseason stride as they took a contested 3-0 match over Mount Marty in the GPAC Quarterfinals on Saturday.
NWC 3 - MMU 0 (25-15, 25-22, 27-25)
How It Happened
The first set opened with Northwestern asserting early control, capitalizing on Mount Marty's errors, including two service errors, to build momentum.
Stella Winterfeld and
Zavyr Metzger, with assists from
Nyah Potthoff, were instrumental in the Raiders' offensive drive. Mount Marty struggled to keep pace, calling timeouts at 11-5 and 16-9, but couldn't halt the Red Raiders' advance. The set concluded with a service ace by
Sidney Oostra, securing a 25-15 victory for Northwestern.
The Raiders secured a narrow victory in the second set, marked by back-and-forth scoring, with both teams exchanging leads multiple times. Winterfeld and Metzger contributed key kills, while Oostra's service ace at 16-10 helped Northwestern build a crucial lead. After Mount Marty's strong push to close the gap to 23-22, a service error and an attack error allowed the Red Raiders to clinch the set.
Northwestern secured a tense 27-25 victory over Mount Marty in the third set. The set saw significant contributions from
Stella Winterfeld, who delivered multiple key kills, and
Liv Reitsma, who provided crucial assists throughout. The Raiders held a 19-14 lead before Mount Marty rallied to tie the score at 21-21. The set remained closely contested until Northwestern capitalized on an attack error and a decisive kill by
Sidney Oostra to close out the set.
Match Notes
- Liv Reitsma led the team in digs (10) while adding 15 assists and two aces.
- Maddy Sampson was quiet on the front line defensively, but was second on the team in kills with nine.
- Another strong showing for Zavyr Metzger with seven blocks.
- Stella Winterfeld notched 14 kills and six digs.
- Nyah Potthoff led the team in assists with 18, as well as two kills.
Up Next: Northwestern faces Dakota Wesleyan in the GPAC semifinals on Wednesday, November 12th at 7pm.
