Box Score



ST. PETER, Minn. – In a match that featured many balls kept alive on both sides of the net, the Northwestern College volleyball team swept Gustavus Adolphus College on Tuesday night with game scores of 25-20, 25-22, and 25-23.

The Eagles maintained control for the majority of the close first set as they led 7-6 and protected their lead, winning the opening game 25-20. Kendra Korporal (Sumner, Iowa /Sumner-Fredericksburg) put the ball away seven times in NWC's first 25 points, including notching back-to-back kills to close out the opener.

The second set featured another close contest as both teams rallied to earn points after coming up with scrappy digs on defense. The score was tied nine times, lastly at 21-21 before Courtney Jonas (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian) and Korporal teamed up for a pair of kills, followed by a Lexi Bertsch (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian) ace to give the visitors a 24-21 lead on the Gusties. The two teams exchanged a few more points before Cari Miller (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) put an exclamation point on the set as she tallied her third kill of the match on set point, securing a 25-22 victory for the Eagles.

The third and final set of the night featured long plays and big hits for both Northwestern and Gustavus as the two teams battled down the home stretch.  After being down 16-18 midway through the set, the Purple and Gold utilized a four-point run to earn the lead back and flip the score, earning a two-point, 20-18 advantage over the Gusties. The game went on to be evened at 22-22 before Tija Rudzitis (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian ) and Lizzy Potratz (Oshkosh, Wis./Valley Christian )  both led NWC's attack with a kill apiece and put the team in a match point situation. After Gustavus fought back with a kill, Miller found a hole in the home team's defense and put the ball down, securing the second-straight sweep for the Eagles.

Korporal, the reigning Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Offensive Player of the Week led the way for Northwestern with 14 kills, making it 18 times this year the freshman has reached the double-digit mark. Potratz, Rudzitis, and Jonas all contributed to the offensive attack, earning eight, seven, and six kills respectively. Krista Stoltz (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) had a big hand in the Eagles' 42 kills, setting her hitters up for success 37 times.

Defensively, NWC was led by Lexi Bertsch (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian) with 11 digs, while Potratz and Kate Kostek (Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) also had a hand in the team's tenacious defensive play, as Potratz kept 10 of the Gusties' scoring attempts alive, while Kostek secured eight digs of her own. The Eagles' defensive efforts combined with a strong offense kept Gustavus to a .161 attack percentage while the visitors concluded the night with a .269 mark.

Now 18-8 on the year, Northwestern will return to action this Friday, October 19 when it kicks off another busy weekend of UMAC volleyball, starting with Friday's 7 p.m. home contest versus Northland College.