ST. PAUL – The 24th-ranked University of Northwestern volleyball team cruised to a pair of sweeps Tuesday night inside the Ericksen Center. The Eagles defeated Bethany Lutheran College (6-14, 1-3) in the opener before topping St. Catherine University (11-11) in the nightcap. UNW improves to 17-3 overall on the season with the two victories and betters its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) record to 3-0.

Match One vs. Bethany Lutheran (25-15, 25-6, 25-6)
The Eagles put together some great swings en route to posting an impressive .386 hitting percentage. UNW's strong block and stellar defensive play held BLC to a -.102 mark in the same category.

UNW held an 11-3 advantage in blocks and pounded down 40 kills to the Vikings' 14.

Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) led the way offensively with 12 kills, while Shanay Gonder (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) added seven. Leesa Hulstrand (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) continued to be force at the net, tallying six blocks to go along with 16 assists. Freya Hanson (Otsego, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) posted a team-high 11 digs and Toria Gilson contributed five blocks to the defensive effort.

Match Two vs. St. Catherine (25-19, 25-14, 25-15)
Northwestern hit over .300 for the second-straight contest and held the visiting Wildcats to a .036 hitting percentage in a dominant victory. UNW's presence at the net was a factor all night, as the Eagles compiled 13 blocks to the Wildcats' one.

Peterson – who was the star of the show Tuesday night – chalked up a double-double with her 19 kills and 13 digs. In addition, the junior added four blocks. Shanay Gonder (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) was a blocking machine, recording eight blocks. Leesa Hulstrand (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) posted 20 assists, while Kaelyn Kilbo (Delano, Minn./Delano) added 15. Jackie Doering (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) racked up a match-high 15 digs in the back row.

The Eagles will host the College of Saint Benedict Friday night inside the Ericksen Center with first serve slated for 7 p.m. Fans can find more information on the volleyball team by following @unwvb on Twitter or by visiting www.unweagles.com.