Orange City, Iowa — No.1 Northwestern dropped its first match of the season, losing to College of Saint Mary in the GPAC Quarterfinals in four sets (25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22).
The Red Raiders, now 28-1 on the season, will next play at the NAIA National Championship in Sioux City, Iowa, on Dec. 3. They earned one of the GPAC’s two automatic bids to the championship winning the regular season championship.
Makenzie Fink led Northwestern with 15 kills and both Emily Van Ginkel and Bekah Horstman smashed down 13 kills each.
College of Saint Mary scored the first five points of the match and led by as many as nine (18-9) late in the first set. Northwestern rallied behind the strong serving from Jayden Schutt and Lacey Wacker, getting to within three (24-21) after a successful attack by Fink. The Flames, however, finished off the Red Raiders on the on a kill from Amber Anderson, 25-21.
Set two began the same way with College of Saint Mary scoring the first five points to force an early Red Raider timeout. Northwestern came back with six of the next eight points and the set remained close thereafter but the hosts were not able to tie or take the lead. Down four (19-15), Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch’s squad made it a one point game, 24-23, with a kill from Horstman only to have CSM win it on a successful attack put down by Makenna Freeman.
Set three featured long scoring runs by both teams as Northwestern stormed out to a 9-3 advantage, its first lead of the match. Back came College of Saint Mary, however, as the Flames scored eight consecutive points served by Freeman. Northwestern came back to tie the set at 12 and it remained close after that with neither team up by more than two. A kill by Van Ginkel put Northwestern up for good (19-18) and the hosts got kills from Fink, Horstman and Van Ginkel down the stretch to force a fourth set, 25-23.
Hoping to use the momentum from its set three win, Northwestern fell behind early in the fourth (10-5). The Flames lead continued at 4-6 points until a Northwestern late rally made it a two-point game, 23-21, after blocks by Van Ginkel and Fink. CSM, however, finished off Northwestern with two of the final three points, winning 25-22.
Both teams hit 18% for the match with Northwestern holding an 11-3 edge in blocks. The Red Raiders hit better than College of Saint Mary in the final two sets, hitting a match-best .333 in set three.
Lacey Wacker put up 47 assists and eight digs; Emily Strasser led Van Den Bosch’s squad in the backrow with 14 digs. Bri Kleinwolterink served two of the Red Raiders six aces.
College of Saint Mary was led by Anderson with 23 kills, hitting over .300 for the match. Freeman and Kamryn Willman both totaled 10 kills. The Flames advance to the GPAC semi’s with a 28-13 record.
