Box Score 1 | Box Score 2


MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – The Northwestern College volleyball team split its two Friday matches at the Cornell College Classic, defeating St. Olaf College 3-1 before falling to 18th-ranked Wartburg College 3-1.

Against St. Olaf, Northwestern used a strong offensive attack to rebound from a 25-17 first set loss. In the remaining three sets (26-24, 25-18, 25-17), the Eagles averaged a .297 attacking percentage. Kendra Korporal (Sumner, Iowa /Sumner-Fredericksburg) had a match-high 16 kills in the match, followed by Lizzy Potratz (Oshkosh, Wis./Valley Christian )'s 15 kills. Krista Stoltz (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) amassed 49 assists and 19 digs on defense, two behind team leader Lexi Bertsch (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian), who had 21. Potratz also finished the match with 19 digs.

Ari Carlson led St. Olaf with 13 kills on 29 attempts. Oles setter Kersten Bork had 44 assists.

Wartburg presented Northwestern with its third match against a ranked team in 10 days. The Eagles gave the Knights everything they had, including a Set 1 25-19 victory. Wartburg came back with a 25-21 win in the second set before taking Sets 3 and 4 with the minimum point differential, 31-29 and 25-23. In the third set that ultimately went into extra points, Northwestern came back from a 23-18 deficit to take a 24-23 lead. Fans in attendance then saw ties at every number between 24 and 29 before the Knights went up two sets to one with the 31-29 set win.

Despite playing against a Top 25 team, NWC still hit rather well in the match, finishing with a .237 attacking percentage and 93 total digs. Stoltz had 55 of the Eagles' 60 assists as Korporal hit the 20-mark for kills in a match for the second time this season, while Potratz was just three behind at 17. Courtney Jonas (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian) added double digit kills for the second consecutive match at 11.

Korporal and Bertsch both had 26 digs throughout the one hour and 50 minute contest.

Now 7-4 on the season, Northwestern will return to the court at Cornell on Saturday for two more matches. The Eagles will face off against the host-Rams at 11 a.m. before getting a second chance at Augsburg College at 1 p.m. The Auggies won a four-set match over Northwestern last Saturday in Minneapolis.