Second-ranked Northwestern earned a 3-0 sweep against the Mount Mary Lancers last Wednesday, Oct. 2. The conference match-up was played in Yankton, South Dakota. The Raiders improve to 7-0 in the GPAC while being 19-0 overall. The Lancers fall to 0-7 in the GPAC and 7-15 overall.
A.J. Kacmarynski put down a match-high of 12 kills and killed 58 percent of the balls. Anna Wedel also had an impressive game with 11 kills and 10 digs, which makes her eigth double-double of the season. Makenzie Fink, put down nine kills and served five aces. The two middles, Emily Van Ginkel and Bekah Horstman, combined nine kills and nine blocks to help the Raiders get to victory. Lacey Wacker finished the game with 36 assists. Emily Strasser scrambled 6 digs off the ground.
The first set proved to be a rocky start for the Raiders with a 25-22 win. It consisted of many back-and-forth plays and multiple lead changes. At one point, the score was tied 20-20. NW scored five of the next seven points. The Raiders hit 28 percent compared to 23 percent by Mount Marty.
Starting with a bang from Wacker’s serving pressure, the second set ended quickly. She served 11 consecutive balls and made the Lancers scramble for their possible points. They had to use both of their timeouts to try to compete with Wacker’s serves. The Raiders had an outstanding set by hitting 81 percent while limiting Mount Marty to -13 percent. The second game finished with a score of 25-5.
Finishing the sweep, the third set ended with a 25-16 win. The Raiders pulled the set away by getting on a late 10-2 run.
The Raiders just went head-to-head against Briar Cliff on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and will make the long trip to compete against Jamestown on Saturday, Oct. 12. Blizzard-like conditions are forecasted for Jamestown, which could prove interesting for a road game. In the following week, the Raiders will compete against the Sioux County rival, Dordt, on Wednesday, Oct. 16 and play Midland, ranked eighth, on Saturday, Oct. 19.
