SIOUX CITY, Iowa – For the third consecutive season, the Northwestern College volleyball team (20-11, 9-7 GPAC) played in front of a sea of red in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Volleyball Championship quarterfinals at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City but ran into an experienced No. 3-ranked Missouri Baptist (31-2, 9-0 AMC) squad, falling in four sets. The set scores were 20-25, 18-25, 25-23 and 19-25.
“They’re a really good team. They cause so many matchup problems,” said head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch. “That setter is one of the best I’ve seen. That was a good team, I thought we battled well.”
The first set saw both teams feeling each other out, but back-to-back kills from Bekah Horstman (Sr., Pella, Iowa/Pella Christian) kept Northwestern in the match early. Missouri Baptist went on a run, opening up the match with a 6-2 spurt. After a time out trailing 19-13, the Spartans had it at set point at 24-14 but a six-point spurt for Northwestern was a spark they needed, forcing MBU to take a time out up 24-19. A kill from Emma Lattimore would secure the first set for MBU, 25-20.
The Raiders continued to fight and put points up on the defending national champions, thanks to Horstman and Olivia Schaub (Jr., Scottsbluf, Neb./Gering). The experienced attackers of Missouri Baptist continued to find ways to put kills away, extending their lead to 12-7 forcing a Raider time out in the second set. The Spartans would prevail in the second set 25-18.
Missouri Baptist kept the pressure on in the third set jumping out to a 9-4 lead. The Raiders would come roaring back to make it 14-13 MBU, forcing a Spartan time out. Immediately following the time out, Alysen Dexter (Fr., Urbandale, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) tied it up at 15-15. Missouri Baptist would come back with back-to-back kills, but the Raiders would keep pace. Tied up at 22-22, a double block from Horstman and Savonne Sterk (So., Lynden, Wash./Lynden) gave the Raiders momentum. A kill down the line by Horstman would make it set point Northwestern, and a solo block from Horstman sends the match to a fourth set with the Raiders prevailing 25-23.
“Alysen played pretty fearless all night. She was ferocious in all stages of the game in the second set,” noted Van Den Bosch.
Missouri Baptist took back momentum in set four early, taking a 9-5 advantage as the Raiders took a time out. The many different weapons the Spartans have on offense took control of the set, thanks to the guidance of senior setter Manuela Vargas. But as been the story in Sioux City for the Raiders they come roaring back. Northwestern cuts the MBU lead to 15-13 and the Raider fans in attendance all rise in unison. Raiders get it to 20-19 as the Raider fans get loud and MBU takes their final time out. Ultimately, the experience of the Spartan team would guide them as they prevailed 25-19, taking the match 3-1.
Dexter caps off her freshman season once again leading the team in kills with 15 on the evening. Horstman had 7 blocks to lead the team on the night. Emily Strasser (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) had 24 digs on the match.
The experienced Spartan front line was ready for the Raiders block attempts all night long, always finding ways to keep balls alive on tips and blocks to give their own offense a chance. Missouri Baptist hit at an impressive mark of .330 with 73 kills on the night as five different Spartans had double digit kills to guide the defending national champions. Giovanna Tapigliani led Missouri Baptist with 18 of kills on the night, leading the match.
“This group exceeded a lot of people’s expectation and we played our best volleyball here in Sioux City,” concluded Van Den Bosch. “Not much more you can ask for from this team.”
Another impressive Northwestern volleyball season ends at the final site of the 2021 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship in the Quarterfinal round in Sioux City, Iowa. The Raiders finish the year with a 20-11 overall, and a 9-7 mark in the tough Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) under Coach Van Den Bosch. Northwestern ended the final regular season poll ranked No. 21 in the nation, surprising many onlookers in Sioux City by knocking off the first- and second-seeds in pool play to clinch the first spot into the Quarterfinals.
