Women's Volleyball Friday, August 21, 2026 NWC Athletic Communications

Northwestern Opens Season with Reverse Sweep as Part of 2-0 Outing

FULLERTON, Calif. – The top-ranked Red Raider volleyball team withstood early adversity to take down No. 16 The Master's (Calif.) and Simpson (Calif.) on Friday.

MATCH 1: NWC 3, TMU 2 (20-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-9)
How It Happened
No. 1 Northwestern emerged victorious in a five-set thriller against The Master's (Calif.) at Darling Pavilion, clinching the match with a reverse sweep. The Raiders secured the win with a .350 hitting percentage in the fifth set.

The opening set saw the Mustangs take an early 4-0 lead, with Macy Gebhards and a service ace setting the tone. Northwestern responded with a kill from Stella Winterfeld to get on the board. The teams traded points, but The Master's maintained a steady lead, highlighted by numerous kills from Isabella Amet and Macy Gebhards, who capitalized on assists from Kate Wagner. The Raiders' Maddy Sampson and Halie Kapelke managed to close the gap with key blocks and kills, but service errors hampered their progress. Despite a late-service ace from Maggie Bloom, The Master's secured the set 25-20 with a final kill by Kinsley Kollmann.

The Mustangs surged ahead in the second set with a series of successful plays, establishing a strong lead early on. Kinsley Kollmann and Chloe Grever powered the attack with multiple kills, while Kate Wagner consistently provided key assists. The Raiders called a timeout at 7-3 and again at 16-9 to regroup, but the Mustangs continued to capitalize on errors to maintain their momentum. Despite a late rally from Northwestern, highlighted by Stella Winterfeld's two consecutive kills and an ace from Anni Wedgbury, The Master's secured the set 25-20, ending with a decisive kill by Chloe Grever.

The Raiders secured a 25-19 victory in the third set, powered by a balanced offensive attack and key defensive plays. Stella Winterfeld contributed significantly with multiple kills, while Nyah Potthoff facilitated the offense with well-timed assists. A service ace from Maggie Bloom and consecutive kills from Maddy Sampson helped Northwestern maintain momentum. The set concluded with the Raiders capitalizing on an attack error by Kinsley Kollmann, as Makenna Lilly and Potthoff combined for the decisive block.

Northwestern started the fourth set with a strong defensive play, as Maddy Sampson and Stella Winterfeld teamed up to block a Macy Gebhards attack, giving Northwestern the early lead. The Raiders then built momentum with a series of kills from Stella Winterfeld and Aubrey De Groot, contributing to an 8-3 advantage. Despite a brief comeback attempt from the Mustangs, highlighted by Macy Gebhards' consecutive kills, the Raiders maintained their lead. The set concluded with the Raiders' defense sealing the win at 25-20, as a block by Sidney Oostra and Maddy Sampson stopped Macy Gebhards' final attack.

In the fifth and final set, the Raiders secured a strong start with a 3-0 run featuring kills by Maddy Sampson and Stella Winterfeld, prompting an early timeout by the Mustangs. Despite intermittent points from The Master's, including successful kills by Isabella Amet and Macy Gebhards, Northwestern maintained control. Winterfeld continued to be a key player, adding multiple kills and capitalizing on attack errors by the opposition. After another timeout by the Mustangs at 9-3, the Raiders extended their lead through consistent play, reaching a 15-9 victory on a service error by The Master's.

Game Notes:

Northwestern has opened its season with a reverse sweep in two of the last three years,
Nyah Potthoff dished out a career-high 38 assists, also notching 11 digs and an ace.
Stella Winterfeld led the charge offensively with 19 kills and added 14 digs.
Sidney Oostra totaled 20 digs with five assists and six kills.
Maddy Sampson had 11 kills and four blocks.
Maggie Bloom collected three service aces.
Aubrey De Groot added four blocks.

MATCH 2: NWC 3, SU 1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-11)
How It Happened
Northwestern moved to 2-0 on Friday, defeating Simpson in four sets with scores of 21-25, 25-18, 25-18, and 25-11.

The Red Raiders' offense excelled in the fourth set, achieving a .652 hitting percentage, while the Red Hawks managed only a .143 hitting percentage in the same set.

The first set began with the Red Raiders gaining an early edge due to an attack error by Simpson's Louise Oliveira. However, the Red Hawks quickly responded with a strong offensive sequence, helping them secure a 7-1 run to take an 8-4 lead. The Raiders attempted to narrow the gap through kills by Sampson and Aubree Shields, but the Red Hawks maintained their advantage with consistent offense from Mariah Napoleon. Despite a late push by the Raiders, featuring a service ace by Stella Winterfeld, the Red Hawks closed the set with a kill from Napoleon, taking the set 25-21.

The Red Raiders asserted their dominance early in the second set, building a 4-0 lead with Maggie Bloom's consecutive service aces and a kill by Aubrey De Groot. Simpson called a timeout in an effort to regroup but struggled to close the gap. Halie Kapelke and De Groot were instrumental with blocks and kills, contributing to the Raiders' increasing advantage. Despite a late push from the Red Hawks, including kills by Napoleon and Maggie Warden, the Raiders secured the set with a 25-18 victory, capped by a kill from Jadyn Hofmeyer.

The Raiders capitalized on Simpson's errors and a strong performance by Nyah Potthoff in the third set to secure a 25-18 victory. Potthoff contributed multiple assists, including a pivotal one to Kapelke, igniting a scoring run that propelled the Raiders to a 9-4 lead. The Red Hawks attempted to close the gap with two service aces from Tiara Manns, but the Raiders maintained their lead. Hofmeyer and Sampson also delivered key kills, helping the Raiders reach set point. The set concluded with two consecutive attack errors by Elizabeth Heath, sealing the set for the Raiders.

The Raiders dominated the fourth set against the Red Hawks, securing a 25-11 victory. The set opened with the Raiders capitalizing on a service ace from Bloom, who then assisted Hofmeyer for a kill, contributing to an early 3-0 lead. Despite a brief rally from the Red Hawks, the Raiders responded with a series of key plays, including a kill by Kapelke and an attack error from Simpson's Napoleon, pushing the score to 8-2. The Raiders forced several Red Hawks timeouts and closed the set with a service ace, sealing the win.

Game Notes:

Jadyn Hofmeyer led the Raiders with 15 kills.
Halie Kapelke posted 10 kills with four blocks.
Nyah Potthoff topped her career-high with 41 assists.
Maddy Sampson added seven kills and five blocks.
Stella Winterfeld served three aces.
Northwestern hit .364 on the day and held Simpson to a .128 mark.

Up Next: The Raiders will be back in action tomorrow against a pair of top-25 opponents in No. 22 Southern Oregon and No. 2 Eastern Oregon.

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

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Players Mentioned

#17 Maggie Bloom: DS; 5' 3"; Sophomore

#23 Aubrey De Groot: OPP; 6' 1"; Junior

#24 Halie Kapelke: OPP; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#4 Sidney Oostra: OH; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#8 Maddy Sampson: MH; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#5 Stella Winterfeld: OH; 5' 9"; Junior

#2 Nyah Potthoff: S; 5' 9"; Freshman

#11 Makenna Lilly: OH; 5' 9"; Freshman

#3 Jadyn Hofmeyer: OH/OPP; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#7 Anni Wedgbury: DS; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#17 Maggie Bloom
: 5' 3"; Sophomore
: DS

#23 Aubrey De Groot
: 6' 1"; Junior
: OPP

#24 Halie Kapelke
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: OPP

#4 Sidney Oostra
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: OH

#8 Maddy Sampson
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: MH

#5 Stella Winterfeld
: 5' 9"; Junior
: OH

#2 Nyah Potthoff
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: S

#11 Makenna Lilly
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: OH

#3 Jadyn Hofmeyer
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: OH/OPP

#7 Anni Wedgbury
: Freshman
: DS