“We look at each night as a new game,” said junior rightside hitter Karlie Schut. “We take each team very seriously.”
The Raiders were tied at 13-13 in the first set when a kill from Schut put NW on top, and they never looked back.
In the second set, NW shot off to a 7-2 start thanks in part to a pair of kills by Schut. The Mustangs brought the score to within one at 13-12, but strong NW offense, including three kills by senior outside hitter Kaitlin Floerchinger, helped the home team prevail.
The Raiders led 19-6 at one point during set three. Floerchinger recorded six kills during the final set.
Floerchinger led all players with 13 kills and hit .304 for the contest. Schut was not far behind with 10 kills and hit .381. Junior outside hitter Haley Chambers recorded five kills and hit .400. Junior setter Brooke Fessler added 31 assists. Senior defensive specialist Alexis Bart totaled a team-high 10 digs.
The Raiders hit a .412 as a team compared to a .312 from Morningside.
“We’ve been working on our out of system attacks,” Schut said. “So we can get swings at the other team every time.”
NW will hit the road and face Nebraska Wesleyan tonight with the first set beginning at 7:30 p.m.