SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 8-ranked Northwestern College volleyball team (4-0, 1-0 GPAC) opened up Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) play with a straight set victory over Morningside (6-4, 0-2 GPAC), 25-20, 25-22, 25-10; making it four consecutive victories over the Mustangs.
Freshman Alysen Dexter (Fr., Urbandale, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) had her way against the Mustangs, picking up season- and career-high 18 kills to guide the Raiders past the Mustangs in the conference opener. It marks back-to-back matches that the freshman has recorded double-digit kills and lead the team in the category. Senior Bekah Horstman (Pella, Iowa/Pella Christian) had eight kills on the evening. Horstman also was a force to be reckoned with at the net, collecting eight total blocks, including two solo blocks.
Junior setter Jadeyn Schutt (Orange City, Iowa/MOC-Floyd Valley) helped pace the Raider offense that hit .198 on the night with 22 assists. Sophomore Olivia Granstra (So., Sheldon, Iowa/Western Christian) also tallied 11 assists. Three Raiders tallied double-digit digs, frustrating the Mustang attackers. Senior libero Emily Strasser (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) led the team with 19 digs. Natalie Engebretson (Sr., Wake Forest, N.C./North Raleigh Christian Academy) followed with 11, and Schutt had 10.
The first set featured a neck-and-neck battle between the two squads. Morningside got out to the early 4-2 advantage before the Raiders stormed back with a 5-point run of their own to take the 7-4 lead. Morningside regrouped after taking a timeout railing 12-7, taking the next three points from the Raiders. Later in the set, the Mustangs drew even at 15 a piece before head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch called timeout. Back-to-back blocks from Horstman and a service ace from freshman Emmy Wedgbury (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) helped bring the momentum back to the Raiders. The dominant arm of Dexter closed out the set, in favor of the Raiders.
Set two proved to be more of a back-and-forth affair. Down the stretch, it was 17-17 as both teams battled for momentum to try and close out the set. The Raiders were the first team to eclipse the 20-point mark in the set (20-18), but the Mustangs hung around at 20-19. Schutt set up two beautiful assists to extend the Northwestern lead to 22-19, forcing Morningside to call timeout. The first rally out of the break was a long one that went in favor of the Mustangs to pull within two. Another Mustang point prompted a timeout from Van Den Bosch with the Raiders clinging to a 22-21 set lead. A service error gave Northwestern a 23-22 advantage. Again, Dexter closed out the set with a kill down the line to give the Raiders a 2-0 match lead.
Horstman would begin the third set with a bang, with a kill in the middle of three Mustangs. A block from Horstman and Katie Peters (Jr., Le Mars, Iowa/Gehlen Catholic) ensured the momentum remained firmly on Northwestern’s side, as it spurred the Raiders out to a quick 9-4 lead in the third set. The Raiders kept their foot on the gas, quickly expanding their lead to 17-8 aided by a 10-4 run. Morningside seemingly ran out of gas, as Northwestern would take set three by the score of 25-10.
The Raiders outpaced the Mustangs in multiple statistical categories. Hitting a .198 to Morningside’s .049, picking up nine more assists (35-26). Northwestern also dominated at the net, tallying 12 blocks to the Mustang’s three.
Up next the Raiders travel back to Sioux City yet again this Friday and Saturday, September 3 and 4, to play in the Sioux City Tournament for four matches. Friday will feature William Jessup University (Calif.) and Benedictine (Kan.), while Saturday Northwestern will square off with St. Francis (Ind.) and (RV) Evangel (Mo.).
