Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ACR Homes Volleyball Opener Website
Watch: Kendra Korporal (Sumner, Iowa /Sumner-Fredericksburg) Match Reaction
NWC-Grinnell Stats
NWC-Wis.-River Falls Stats

ST. PAUL -- Northwestern College rebounded from a 3-0 loss on Friday night to sweep Grinnell College to start Day 2 at the ACR Homes Volleyball Opener on Saturday morning. Nearly every player in an Eagles uniform saw the court as NWC won 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-18).

Kendra Korporal (Sumner, Iowa /Sumner-Fredericksburg) had her best match in an Eagles uniform in terms of hitting percentage as the freshman hit .478 to go with 13 kills. As a team, Northwestern hit .416 behind Krista Stoltz (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial)'s 35 assists. Lizzy Potratz (Oshkosh, Wis./Valley Christian ) followed with seven kills on 10 attempts for a .600 attacking percentage as the Eagles posted 41 kills to Grinnell's 23. Potratz also recorded seven serving aces in the match.

Defensively, Stoltz and Lexi Bertsch (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian) each had a team-high nine digs, while Tija Rudzitis (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian ) had three blocks at the net.

The Eagles carried the morning's momentum into their 2 p.m. match against the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, winning in five sets (17-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-10, 15-9). After losing a tough third set that saw each team trade points back and forth, NWC easily took the fourth set before outlasting the Falcons in the decisive fifth frame.

Northwestern hit .217 in the match, with three different players hitting double figures in kills. Korporal had a new career-high 21 kills, tallying just four errors to finish the contest with a .321 personal attacking rate. Cari Miller (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) added 12 kills and Courtney Jonas (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian) 10. Stoltz's 46 assists were a season high for the junior.

River Falls actually posted more kills in the five-set match, but Northwestern out-blocked the Falcons 8-5 while forcing 10 fewer errors on offense. On the defensive side of the net, Bertsch and Potratz were solid with 22 and 16 digs, saving several balls from River Falls' middle hitters.

Both Bertsch and Stoltz were named to the all-tournament team following the two-day event.

Now 3-1 to start the 2012 season, Northwestern will play a midweek nonconference match at St. Benedict on Wednesday night before heading to Minneapolis to play in a two-day tournament hosted by Augsburg College next weekend.