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HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
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Nike
vb-recap-dwu-250910
0
Dakota Wesleyan (SD) DWU 7-5, 1-1
3
Winner Northwestern NWC 8-2, 2-0
Dakota Wesleyan (SD) DWU
7-5, 1-1
0
Final
3
Northwestern NWC
8-2, 2-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Dakota Wesleyan (SD) DWU 19 15 11 (0)
Northwestern NWC 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | NWC Athletic Communications

Metzger Surpasses 500 Career Blocks in Home-Opening Win

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Zavyr Metzger became the fourth player in Northwestern history to reach 500 career blocks on Wednesday, leading the Raiders in their home opener against Dakota Wesleyan.

NWC 3, DWU 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-11)
How It Happened
Northwestern surged ahead after a slow start in the opening set, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit against DWU. A crucial turning point occurred when the Red Raiders went on a 6-0 run, capped by back-to-back blocks from Zavyr Metzger, giving them a 13-10 lead and forcing DWU to call a timeout at 12-10. After the timeout, the Raiders extended their lead with a series of successful plays from Stella Winterfeld and Maddy Sampson, reaching an 18-10 advantage. Despite a late rally from the Tigers, which included three consecutive points to narrow the gap to 24-19, Northwestern secured the set 25-19 with a decisive kill by Sampson from Liv Reitsma.

The Red Raiders secured a decisive victory in the second set against the Tigers, winning 25-15. After an even start, Northwestern broke a 3-3 tie with a run of five consecutive points, highlighted by kills from Sidney Oostra and Metzger, prompting DWU to call a timeout at 7-3. The momentum continued in Northwestern's favor, as Nyah Potthoff contributed four assists in a span that expanded their lead to 13-4. Despite a late surge by the Tigers, including a service ace that brought the score to 24-15, Northwestern closed the set with a kill by Emma Westphal, assisted by Potthoff, securing the set.

The Raiders opened the third set with a strong performance, quickly building momentum through a series of errors from the Tigers and effective kills from Rylie Franken and Winterfeld. At 5-1, Northwestern forced a timeout from DWU with a 9-3 lead following a decisive block by Metzger and Westphal. The Tigers briefly responded with kills by Evy Knoblock, yet Northwestern's consistent attack, highlighted by Sampson and Oostra, kept the home team in control. Despite another DWU timeout at 17-7, Northwestern maintained their lead and closed the set decisively at 25-11, with Winterfeld securing the final point.

"That was a fun home opener for us. We had a big crowd, the students were awesome, and I thought our girls just got better and more comfortable as the match went on," head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch said. "I thought our tempo was really good. We got our middles going early, which really froze their middles. Then our left sides got open, and I thought all three of our right sides had a pretty good night," he added.

MATCH NOTES:
  • Zavyr Metzger put up seven blocks on the night to go over 500 for her career, becoming the fourth Raider to reach the 500-block milestone.
  • Metzger also added 10 kills on a .714 efficiency.
  • Stella Winterfeld posted a double-double with 11 kills and 18 digs.
  • Emma Westphal posted six kills on the night.
  • Nyah Potthoff led the Raiders with 24 assists.
  • Sidney Oostra had 15 digs to go with five kills.
Up Next: The Raiders will continue conference action at Briar Cliff on Saturday, with first serve set for 5:00 p.m.
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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