Coming off a four-match home stand last week, the Northwestern College volleyball team returned to the road and made the short trip west to play Mount Marty. The Raiders made short work of the Lancers, downing the hosts in three sets, 25-20, 25-17 and 25-12.
Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch’s squad extended their win streak to seven and improved to 9-1 in the GPAC, 11-1 overall.
Northwestern held a significant advantage at the net, both in kill efficiency (.312 – .078) and blocks (10-5). Van Den Bosch and his team limited Mount Marty to a negative hitting percentage in the final set.
Lacey Reitz (20) and Jadeyn Schutt (10) combined for 30 assists in directing the Raider offense. A.J. Kacmarynski smashed a match-high 14 kills and hit .500 for the match; the senior has hit for double figures in five of her last six matches. Makenzie Fink put away nine kills playing on the opposite side of Kacmarynski and hit nearly .500. Anna Wedel and Emily Van Ginkel totaled six kills each and Macay Van’t Hul added three kills and assisted on five blocks.
Set One: 25-20 win
Close early, Northwestern gradually built up a seven-point lead (20-13) after a kill from Van Ginkel and block by Schutt and Van’t Hul. The teams traded points for the rest of the set, resulting in a 25-20 win.
Set Two: 25-17 win
An early 11-3 run put Northwestern in control in set two; Mount Marty did not get any closer than four as the Raiders hit their best (.382), putting away 16 kills in 34 attempts.
Set Three: 25-12 win
Northwestern continued its dominance in the final set, closing the match with an 11-3 run; Fink served the final four points and forced Mount Marty into three hitting errors along with a double block by Taylor Meyer and Katie Peters.
Emily Strasser accounted for 10 digs and totaled two ace serves. Wedel added nine digs and both Van Ginkel and Fink contributed four assisted blocks.
Mount Marty was led by Elizabeth Watchorn with 11 kills and 13 digs.
