ST. PAUL, Minn. – The No. 15 nationally ranked University of Northwestern volleyball team continued their dominant start to the season on Saturday afternoon as the Eagles swept the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers, who received votes in the most recent AVCA national rankings, to improve to 4-0 on the season. Not only undefeated, UNW has yet to give up a set to an opponent this year, having swept all four of their matches 3-0.
 
The Pointers gave Northwestern their most challenging match of the season thus far, and the Eagles rose to that challenge. The tone was set in the opening set as UWSP took an early 7-4 lead over UNW. The Eagles responded with a three-point run to even the set at 7-7, but the Pointers would hold a lead for the first half of the opening set. Northwestern took a 15-14 lead on an Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) kill, and would hold the lead for the rest of the set until taking it 25-21.
 
Set two saw the Pointers take a lead at 12-11 until UNW rattled off four in a row to go up 15-12. Stevens Point would get within one point at 16-15, but Northwestern earned breathing room with a three-point run. Again the Pointers would get within one point of tying it at 20-19, and again UNW won three straight points to go up 23-19. Finally, UWSP found a rhythm and rattled off four in a row to tie up the set at 23-23. An Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) kill put UNW up 24-23, but a Pointer kill evened the score again at 24-24. Glanzer and Schmidt proceeded to make two vital kills to take the needed two-point margin and win the set 26-24 for Northwestern.
 
Down 2-0, the Pointers leapt out of the gate in the third set, winning the first four points. The Eagles responded with three in a row but Stevens Point kept up the attack to go up 12-6. Down by six points, UNW won five of the next six points to get within two trailing 13-11. The Eagles kept up the attack but the Pointers still led 19-16. At that point, all the momentum shifted towards Northwestern as the Eagles went on a six-point run to take a 22-19 lead. UNW and UWSP would trade points until the Eagles were within one point of victory at 24-21. The Pointers would make two kills to get within one point, but Glanzer made one final kill to take the set 25-23 for the Eagles and clinch the hard-fought 3-0 victory for Northwestern.
 
Glanzer led the Eagles with 16 kills in the match and a team-high three service aces. Marylyn Schroyer (Ft. Collins, Colo./Ft. Collins) recorded 26 of UNW's 58 digs to lead the team. The duo of Hannah Gadient (Goodhue, Minn./Goodhue) and Grace Strickfaden (Norwood-Young America, Minn./NYA) combined for 34 assists, recording 21 and 13 respectively. Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) led the defensive front with six block assists and a solo block.
 
At the close of the invitational, both Glanzer and Schroyer were named to the All-Tournament team in recognition of their performances. Glanzer recorded 5.22 points per set, eight total blocks, and 24 digs while Schroyer recorded seven digs per set, 63 total digs, and led the Eagles' defensive effort to hold opponents to a .076 hitting percentage through three matches.
 
Up next for No. 15 Northwestern is a pair of road matches on Saturday, September 10, against Grinnell College and Hamline University, both hosted by Hamline at Hutton Arena. The Eagles battle the Pioneers at 2:00pm before taking on the Pipers at 4:00pm.