Sioux Center, Iowa — The Dordt Defenders will host MidAmerica Nazarene in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on Saturday afternoon at 5:00 pm.
Tickets for the event have been sold out. There are no tickets available at the door.
MidAmerica Nazarene is 16-9 this season and finished the Heart of America schedule with a 7-5 mark. The Pioneers are 4-1 in their last five matches and posted a 4-2 mark in 2021 and were eliminated in the semifinal round of the Heart of America Conference. In their most recent outing the Pioneers beat Baker on March 23.
MidAmerica Nazarene is averaging 13.13 kills per set with a .203 kill efficiency and scores 2.08 points per set on blocks while allowing 1.85. The Pioneers also have a 143-130 season advantage in ace serves and average 17.97 digs per set.
The Defenders are 14-6 overall and 11-5 in the league and won eight straight matches spanning the end of the 2020 portion of the schedule and the start of the 2021 semester.
Dordt is averaging 13.2 kills per set with a .238 kill efficiency and has a 83-64 ace serves edge. The Defenders also record 2.7 points per set on blocks while allowing 12.0 kills per set with 1.5 blocks against per outing.
Jessi De Jager is averaging 2.8 kills per set and Brenna Krommendyk’s average is 2.5. Krommendyk has a .401 kill efficiency De Jager is at .299. Krommendyk’s block average is 1.3 per outing while Alli Timmermans lifted her kill average to 2.4 as well and has a .330 kill efficiency. Corrina Timmermans is averaging 2.3 kills per set in a very balanced Dordt attack.
Hannah Connelly tops the Defenders with a 4.9 digs per set average and Corrina Timmermans is at 2.3 digs. Megan Raszler puts up 6.9 assists per set and Corina Beimers is averaging 4.9.
MidAmerica Nazarene beat Baker 3-0 on March 23 by set scores of 25-23, 25-20, 25-18 and Teresa Saunders was the leader with 13 kills and Roth had 10 with nine digs. Jacqueline Calvert put away nine kills and Hansen had 24 assists.
Dordt lost to Midland in the GPAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, April 3 by set scores of 25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 25-21. Brenna Krommendyk had 13 kills and Jessi De Jager had nine while Grace Langemeier accounted for six kills and Megan Raszler put up 25 assists. Hannah Connelly had 14 digs and Dordt had a 15-6 points on blocks advantage.
The winner of this match will advance to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa with pool play beginning on Tuesday, April 27. The bracket portion of the schedule will conclude on Saturday, May 1.
