Anna Wedel smashed a career-high 22 kills in leading No.2 Northwestern to a four-set win (22-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-15) over #19 Dordt in a GPAC showdown played tonight at the DeWitt Gym in Sioux Center, Iowa.
The Red Raiders stay unbeaten, improving to 2-0 in the GPAC, 13-0 overall. Dordt falls to 0-2 in conference play, 8-5 overall.
Wedel hit .429 and hit for a career-best 22 kills to pace the Red Raider attack. The junior totaled 13 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Emily Van Ginkel and A.J. Kacmarynski added nine kills each and both Bekah Horstman and Makenzie Fink put down seven kills. Horstman accounted for five assisted blocks.
The Red Raiders trailed for the entire first set, falling behind by as many seven (15-8), and were forced to use both timeouts. Successive kills by Fink and Kacmarynski began a Northwestern rally as they soon battled back to within two (20-18) of the host the Defenders. The teams traded points over the next while when a successful attack by Van Ginkel put the Red Raiders within two, 24-22. Following a Dordt timeout, the Defenders secured the set on a kill from Jessi De Jager, 25-22. Northwestern hit 30% compared to 29% by the hosts.
Tied at five in set two, Northwestern surged ahead with a 6-1 run, getting a pair of kills from Wedel and forcing Dordt into a couple of attack errors. Another 8-3 run put Northwestern in control as they defeated Dordt 25-13 to tie match 1-1. The Red Raiders hit .421, committing just two errors, and held the Defenders to -.6%.
Set three was tight early as it was tied four times, the final at 7-7. Successful attacks by Wedel (2), Fink and Van Ginkel triggered a 6-3 run to put Northwestern up for good. The Red Raiders pushed their lead to as much as eight (22-14) and on the set 25-20. Northwestern hit 36% compared to 23% by Dordt.
Leading by two (16-14) in the fourth, Northwestern closed the match with a 9-1 run, fueled by five kills from Wedel, to win the set 25-15.
Northwestern hit 33% for the match and totaled seven blocks. Lacey Wacker put up 46 assists and Emily Strasser anchored the backrow play with 10 digs.
Karsyn Winterfeld led Dordt with 13 kills, hitting .321 for the match. Dordt hit 13% and totaled eight blocks.
