NWC-Hamline Box Score
NWC-Gustavus Adolphus Box Score

ST. PAUL (Sep. 20, 2008) – Wrapping up their non-conference schedule for the near future, the Northwestern College volleyball team split their matches in a home quadrangular, defeating Hamline University 3-1 before falling to No. 22 Gustavus Adolphus 1-3.

After falling to Hamline 22-25, Northwestern rallied for three straight set wins, 25-15, 25-12 and 28-26.  The Eagles hit. 225 for the match, compared to Hamline's attacking percentage of .118.  Northwestern also had eight blocks to help their defensive front.

Four Eagles had double-digit kills in the game, including Kathryne Engel (Wayzata, Minn./West Lutheran) (Wayzata, Minn./West Lutheran) (17), Steph Koth (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing) (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing) (15), Elissa Sandstrom (Cloquet, Minn./Carlton) (Cloquet, Minn./Carlton) (13) and Laura Bicket (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) (11).

Running Northwestern's 5-1 offense like a gem was setter Leah Kostek (West Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines Christian ) (West Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines Christian), who recorded 59 assists in the four-set match.

Sandstrom and teammate Sarah Whitmore (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake Christian) (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) were each a part of four blocks in the match, while libero Danielle Rhodes (Iowa City, Iowa/City) (Iowa City. Iowa/City) had 39 of the Eagles' 97 digs.  Koth also had 19 digs in the match.

The loss was Hamline's second (and soon to be third after a 1 p.m. loss to St. Scholastica) in a row after a mid-week loss to St. Mary's University.

NWC carried its momentum into their second of back-to-back matches, winning the first set in a bout with Gustavus Adolphus (25-16).  The Gusties, who are currently ranked No. 22 in the AVCA National Top 25 Poll and have only lost one match all season to NCAA Div. II North Dakota, came from behind late in Set 2 to even themselves with the Eagles (25-23).  Gustavus continued from there to win the third and fourth set 25-18 and 25-19.

Northwestern tallied a better hitting percentage in the match (.206-.197), but Gustavus held the upper hand in kills, blocks and digs, which seemed to add up rather quickly in the latter half of the match.

Engel was once again the Eagles' top performer on offense, recording 18 kills – eight of which came in the second set.  Bicket followed with 12, while Koth added 10 to Northwestern's total of 53.

Kostek was all over the court again, adding 49 assists to her day's total of 108 and an average of 13.5 assists per game.  Koth had a team-high 23 digs for Northwestern, while Rhodes added 16.

After stringing together five straight wins, the loss to Gustavus brings NWC to a 7-4 overall record in 2008.  The Eagles will begin their Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schedule next Friday, with league-rival College of St. Scholastica waiting for them in Duluth.  That match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.