SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Raiders rounded out their tournament in Sioux City with two 3-0 sweeps over #11 ranked McPherson and Missouri Valley. It moves Northwestern to 4-0 on the season with an eight set winning streak.
Match 1: 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-22)
How It Happened
Northwestern took an early 2-0 lead, but McPherson managed to level the score at 7-7 before the Raiders responded with a 3-0 run, pushing the score to 10-7. Northwestern maintained momentum with kills from Zavyr Metzger and Stella Winterfeld coming out of a McPherson timeout. Despite a late surge by the Bulldogs, Northwestern closed out the first set 25-21.
The Raiders began the second set with an early 3-1 lead with a kill from Metzger and a block by Emma Westphal. The Bulldogs responded with three consecutive points to go up 4-3 before extending their lead to 11-6 shortly after. The Raiders mounted a comeback, narrowing the gap to 15-14 with kills from Winterfeld and Metzger. Northwestern sealed the set with a 25-21 victory, ending on a block by Metzger and Westphal.
In the third set, the Raiders and Bulldogs exchanged early points, with Northwestern gaining momentum through a significant serving run by Stella Winterfeld, who delivered three consecutive service aces, contributing to an 8-5 lead. The Raiders maintained their lead with key plays including a kill by Emma Westphal. The Bulldogs managed to close the gap to 18-19, capitalizing on Northwestern’s errors and strong kills. However, the Raiders held on to secure the set at 25-22, earning a sweep of their high-ranked opponent.
Game Notes
- The 3-0 win marked the Raiders’ first ranked win of the season
- Liv Reitsma and Nyah Potthoff set the squad up for success with 18 and 15 assists respectively
- It was scoring domination from Stella Winterfeld and Zavyr Metzger, each scoring 11+ points with eight kills
- Winterfeld found herself three aces as well
- 20 total blocks for Northwestern, 12 of which came from Metzger and Emma Westphal
Match 2: 3-0 (25-9, 25-13, 25-18)
How It Happened
Northwestern took an early 2-0 lead thanks to an ace from Sidney Oostra and a kill by Alexa Trover. The Vikings called a timeout trailing 10-4, after the Raiders went on a four-point run that included kills from Zavyr Metzger and Oostra. Madi Nemmers contributed significantly with consecutive service aces, extending the Raiders’ lead to 14-5. Reitsma played a key role in the set, assisting on multiple occasions, including a kill by Maddy Sampson to make it 20-7. The Raiders sealed the set with a 25-9 victory, as Trover closed it with a kill from another Reitsma assist.
In the second set, Northwestern gained an early advantage before Nyah Potthoff’s strong service led to a significant run, resulting in a 10-2 lead for the Raiders. The Vikings called a timeout at 19-9 following service aces from Tierney Huss, attempting to halt the Raiders’ momentum. Despite some pushback from the Vikings, the Raiders maintained their lead and secured the set 25-16.
In the third set, both teams exchanged points, but a service ace put the Vikings up 6-4. The Raiders responded with a series of blocks, including two by Zavyr Metzger, to tie the score at 12-12. The Raiders took the lead at 18-17, aided by a service ace from Liv Reitsma. Following the break, Northwestern continued their momentum with a 5-0 run, including kills by Trover and De Groot, to close the set 25-18.
Game Notes
- Liv Reitsma led the team with 13 assists; Nyah Potthoff notched 10
- Northwestern served 11 aces, Tierney Huss contributed four
- Junior Alexa Trover had a career-high seven kills to lead the team
- It was six kills and five blocks for Zavyr Metzger, hitting .308
- MIssouri Valley earned just 27 points in the contest
Up Next: Northwestern heads to Omaha, Nebraska for the CSM Labor Day Classic to take on Bethel and #5 Eastern Oregon on Friday, August 29th starting at 12:00pm.
