Box Score

ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern started its 2013 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schedule off with a successful 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-9) victory over the College of St. Scholastica. The Eagles hit .257 in the match, owning a 42 to 25 advantage in kills.



Northwestern owned a big lead in all three sets, but the Eagles had trouble holding on to that buffer in Sets 1 and 2. UNW came out strong right off the bat, leading 7-1 after five straight serves from Lizzy Potratz (Oshkosh, Wis./Valley Christian ) that saw kills from Kendra Korporal (Sumner, Iowa /Sumner-Fredericksburg) and Cari Miller (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley). Leading 17-9, Northwestern squandered its lead away though as St. Scholastica came back to tie the set at 20-20. UNW took five of the next six points to end it and win the set 25-21.

The Eagles developed a small edge in the first 10 points of the second set before a serving spree from Krista Stoltz (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) spurred the Eagles to a four-point advantage at 11-7. Consecutive kills by Potratz and a Saints attacking error boosted that lead to seven at 19-12 before St. Scholastica started another comeback. Fortunatley for UNW, Northwestern held its opponent off, allowing the Saints to not come closer than six points and using back-to-back aces from Miller to win the set 25-19.

Miller and Hallie Mueth (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) each saw plenty of time behind the service line in Set 3 as the Eagles went on a tear, leading 17-2. Mueth's serving got UNW to a 7-0 start before two more aces from Miller created even more separation for the Purple and Gold. CSS got a few points in before Potratz put down the final ball of the night, using a Krista Stoltz (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) assist to give the Eagles a 25-9 set victory and a 3-0 match win.

Northwestern's overall hitting rate was helped greatly by a .414 mark in the third set when the Eagles posted 15 kills and just three attacking errors. Miller was nearly flawless on offense, scoring nine kills and no errors for a .562 hitting percentage, adding the four aces. Korporal finished with a match high 11 kills and a .267 attacking rate, while Potratz added eight kills.

UNW was equally good on the defensive side as Lexi Bertsch (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian) finished with 23 digs, 12 of which came in the second set. Miller had six assisted blocks at the net to help the Eagles block eight balls as a team, three more than St. Scholastica, whose Gloria Ohaju got a hand on every one of the Saints' five blocks. Ohaju also led CSS on offense with seven kills.

Improving its season's overall record to 5-9 overall, Northwestern will take its young 1-0 UMAC mark into a doubleheader on Saturday as two more conference foes come to the Ericksen Center. UNW will face Northland College in a 1 p.m. match before North Central University comes across the river from Minneapolis for a 6 p.m. contest.