The Northwestern College volleyball team concludes a busy stretch with a pair of home matches this weekend. The Raiders host Doane on Friday night at 6/7:30pm and will then play Hastings on Saturday afternoon at 3:30/5pm.
Northwestern has won four straight matches, all in conference play, and is 6-1 in the GPAC, 8-1 overall. Doane has lost five straight matches heading into the weekend and is 1-5 in the GPAC, 3-5 overall. Hastings plays Dordt on Friday night, their first match since Sept. 23; they are 3-1 in the GPAC, 4-2 overall.
Doane is currently in 10th place in the GPAC with a 1-5 record, 3-5 overall, and has lost its last five matches. Last time out, they were defeated by Briar Cliff in four sets on Oct.10. The Tigers lone GPAC win came against Mount Marty on Sept. 9.
Taking over for long-time college and high school coach Gwen Egbert, who retired after last season, Jones is in the midst of her first year as the Tigers head coach. Jones spent three years as an assistant at Nebraska Wesleyan and was an All-American setter for Nebraska-Kearney during her playing career. Jones inherits a team that returns six rotation players, nine overall, from a 2019 team that tied Morningside for sixth place in the GPAC at 8-8, 17-13 overall. Doane graduated their top three hitters from last year, all of which earned all-conference honors.
The Broncos have not played since a four-set win against Doane on Sept. 23; they are currently 3-1 in the GPAC, 4-2 overall heading into their match against Dordt on Friday night. Hastings has wins against Valley City State, College of Saint Mary and Midland and losses to Mayville State and Concordia.
Allard is in her second year as head coach, coming to the Broncos in 2019 after serving as an assistant for University of Incarnate Word in Texas. Allard returns six players from their rotation, eight total, from a 2019 team that finished ninth in the GPAC with a 6-10 record, 11-15 overall. They missed out on the conference tournament. Hastings won the national title in 2016 with a 33-3 mark.
