Box Score Match Reaction: Beth Wilmeth | Chelsea Koth

ST. PAUL -- It took five sets, but the Northwestern College volleyball team remained unscathed through the first half of its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schedule, defeating the College of St. Scholastica 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 15-25, 25-21, 15-8). In a battle of the league's unbeaten teams, the Eagles hit .471 in the final set to improve to 19-2 overall and extended their winning streak to 13 matches.

Neither team gained more than a three-point advantage in the first set, showing how close the two teams were.  St. Scholastica's Paige Hardy broke a 23-23 tie with a kill before a Northwestern attack error gave the Saints a 25-23 set victory.  NWC quickly rebounded in the second set, building a 21-15 lead after the score was knotted at 10-10 and 15-15.   The Saints came within four at 23-19 until back-to-back errors by the visitors tied the set score at 1-1.

St. Scholastica turned the tables in the third set, leading 18-10 at one point. Three straight kills by the Saints and an Eagles attack error gave CSS a 25-15 set victory. Things got a little closer in Set 4, with the score tied early at 4-4. NWC then stormed out to a 17-10 advantage following kills by Cari Miller (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) and Greta King (Willmar, Minn./Willmar) (Willmar, Minn./Willmar). St. Scholastica started to claw back, coming within three points at 24-21, but a Courtney Jonas (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian) (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian) kill gave the Eagles life and a fifth set to win the match.

In the deciding set, St. Scholastica scored, then Northwestern scored. Back and forth they went to 6-6 until Chelsea Koth (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing) (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing) had back to back kills before Taylor Filzen (Northfield, Minn./Northfield)'s (Northfield, Minn./Northfield) service ace warranted a Saints timeout at 9-6.  NWC kept pace after the brief break, goint to 12-8 on another kill from Koth and a St. Scholastica attack error. Kills by Koth, King and an ace by Krista Stoltz (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) wrapped things up as the Eagles won 3-2.

Northwestern hit .243 as a team, netting 65 kills on 169 attempts, while St. Scholastica finished with a .187 mark and 60 kills. Koth finished with a season-best 21 kills with King close behind at 17.  Miller and Jonas each had 11 kills in the match as Stoltz also netted a season-high assist mark with 60.

NWC posted 13 blocks on defense, thanks much in part to the middle presence of Jonas and Jacki Smith (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy). Lexi Bertsch (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian) (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek) paced the Eagles in the back row with 22 digs.

Hardy led St. Scholastica (14-6, 4-1 UMAC) with 17 kills, with Anna Zyvoloski adding 13 kills and 19 digs.  Sarah Kurtovich had 39 assists for the Saints.

Northwestern, who starts the second half of the UMAC schedule next week with a perfect 7-0 mark, will get the rest of the weekend off after playing on Thursday and Friday nights. The Eagles will head to New Ulm, Minn. next Friday to face Martin Luther College at 7 p.m.