ST. PAUL, Minn.- The Kathryne Pals Legacy Invitational has become a staple of the UNW Volleyball program's schedule. However, the tournament was canceled during the 2020 season. On Friday night inside the Ericksen Center, the Eagles opened the tournament back up after a long two years. What a return it was. In front of an electric Ericksen Center crowd, the Eagles opened up the Invitational with wins over Pacific and crosstown rival Bethel. Northwestern was the only team in the five team field to go 2-0 on Friday night.

The #20 Eagles opened up against the Pacific University Boxers. This was a match that was defined by fast starts from the Eagles. In the first set, the Eagles never trailed. Sydney Schwitters (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) set up a kill for Lucy Pelzel (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) on the opening play, and Northwestern never looked back. The Eagles would win the first set by a score of 25-17.

The second set was more tightly contested early on as the Boxers came out going toe to toe with the Eagles. An error by the Eagles made it a 12-8 ball game, but Northwestern would turn it on after that. Finishing the set on a 13-7 run, the Eagles went up two sets to none with a 25-15 win. It was a nifty Hope Kapelke (Ft. Atkinson, Wis./Ft. Atkinson) kill that locked things up for the Eagles, as she had the whole gym expecting a pass, and lofted the ball over the net and through the defense to seal the set for UNW.

The third set was the closest of the three. Pacific took the first point, giving Northwestern their first deficit of the match. However, an Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) kill (this would not be her last of the night) tied things up and this set up a back and forth third set. This set would see six ties until the Eagles took control in the late stages of the set. Gabrielle Straub (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) delivered a kill that may have permanently left a dent in the Ericksen Center floor to seal the third set 25-21 to give UNW the 3-0 win.

Schwitters was a potent passer as she has been throughout her career leading the way with 22 assists, also contributing defensively with seven digs. Marylyn Schroyer (Ft. Collins, Colo./Ft. Collins) was fantastic on the defensive side as well, leading the Eagles with 12 digs. Offensively, it was the incredible balance on display by the Eagles that proved to be the difference maker. Seven different Eagles had a kill in the game, led by Straub who had 12 of them. Glanzer was behind her with seven, as she set herself up for a big evening overall. Kiera Brown (Columbia Falls, Mont./Columbia Falls) and Lucy Pelzel (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) each had six kills apiece, and Kendra Hardy (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria) had five.

After defeating the Boxers, UNW geared up for the main event of the evening. The crosstown rival Royals from Bethel University came into the Ericksen Center for an emotional showdown. The Royals were coming off a sweep in their first match as well, having made quick work of UW-Stevens Point. The Ericksen Center was packed to full capacity and the stage was set for an epic matchup.

While getting off to fast starts may have been the key for the Eagles in their first match, that was not the case against the Royals. Bethel came out firing and went up 9-2 forcing the Eagles to take a timeout. However, the Royals remained in control taking a 15-7 lead forcing Head Coach Beth Wilmeth to take her second and final timeout. This sparked an Eagle run that you had to see to believe. The Eagles rattled off eight straight points to tie the game at 15, as the Eagle student section went crazy. The Eagles rode that momentum to a 24-23 lead, when Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) almost popped a hole in the ball with a vicious kill to give Northwestern the 1-0 lead.

The second set played out in a very similar fashion, giving the fans in attendance déjà vu. Again, Bethel came out firing and took an early lead. This time it was a 8-3 Royal lead, when Northwestern scored four straight points forcing Bethel to call a timeout. It was all Eagles the rest of the way during set two. Kendra Hardy (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria) caught fire during this stretch, and pounded a beautiful Sydney Schwitters (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) pass home with her left hand to give the Eagles a 17-12 lead. It was then Gabrielle Straub (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) who delivered the final blow, giving Northwestern the convincing 25-18 win to go up two sets to zero.

Set number three is where the Royals found their stride and fought back into the game. The Royals got out to their third early lead in three sets, however, this time they did not falter. Bethel took an 18-9 lead, and despite the Eagles showing more determination to get back into the set and pull within 22-19, the Royals closed out the set with a 25-21 win.

Set four, we finally saw the Eagles get out to the early lead. Northwestern led 13-11, however this time it was the Royals who showed the fight and clawed their way back into the set. The set went back and forth and took a slim 20-19 lead down the stretch. From this point on, it was all Royals. Bethel would take the 25-22 set four victory, and set up exactly what the fans wanted, and what this instant classic deserved: a fifth set.

The Eagles were ready to go in this fifth set, taking the first three points and forcing the Royals to take an early timeout. This match had been defined by teams fighting back from early deficits, but the Eagles flipped the script in the final set. Northwestern would not look back and would remain in control throughout the set. Kendra Hardy (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria) used her left hand again, going with the finesse finish this time, floating the ball over two Bethel defenders to give the Eagles a 9-6 lead. Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) continued her spectacular night with a pinpoint accurate kill just inside the right corner to take a 12-8 lead. Finally, it was another Sydney Schwitters (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) pass that set up Kendra Hardy (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria) who went back to the power finish, and blew a kill by the Bethel defense that gave Northwestern the hard fought, epic 3-2 victory.

In a night full of story lines and big time performances, none were bigger than Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian). The freshman put on a show in just her third collegiate game. Glanzer had 27 kills in the match, a mark that puts her in a tie for fifth in program history for most kills in a single match. The all-time mark is held by Mariah Halvorsen who had 32 kills (also against Bethel) in a 2018 match. The freshman had a historical night offensively, but held her own on the defensive side as well, coming away with 12 digs. An incredible performance turned in by the young player.

Glanzer was not alone in big performances. Hardy had 17 kills and 10 digs, and Straub had 14 kills and 22 digs. Schroyer led the way defensively again with 25 digs, and Schwitters added another chapter into her historic career with a remarkable 58 assists.

It was a special night at the Kathryne Pals Legacy Invitational, and it continues tomorrow as the Eagles play at 1:00pm against UW-Stevens Point, and at 3:00pm against Wisconsin Lutheran. Come out to the Ericksen Center and join the fun!