NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.- The #4 University of Northwestern Volleyball team is expanding their horizons this weekend. After playing an extremely strong first half of the season primarily in the Midwest, they decided to take the show on the road this weekend. The Eagles are in the Big Apple competing in the 2023 NYU Invitational. The Eagles went toe-to-toe with the first of two nationally ranked opponents they will square off with this weekend on Friday night. #4 UNW defeated #10 New York University 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-20).
The Eagles are in the city that never sleeps this weekend, and their performance was not a sleepy one on Friday night. UNW defended their high national ranking by winning the first game of the weekend slate in decisive fashion.
In the first set, the Eagles trailed 7-6 before two kills from
Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) and a kill each from
Grace Moravchik (Mason, Wis./Ashland) and
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) powered them on their way to a 4-0 run and a 10-7 lead. The Eagles did not trail again in the opening set. The visitors from the Land of 10,000 Lakes scored six straight points to take a commanding 16-8 lead. Moravchik and Aune each had kills again in that streak and
Hannah Rich (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) added an ace. NYU would push back and pull their deficit back to three (24-21) but an
Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) kill would end the set and put the Eagles up 1-0.
The second set was evenly matched until the final stages when the Eagles would go on yet another dominating run to take the set. The Violets would score a point off of a kill and trailed the Eagles 18-12. UNW scored seven straight points to win the second set 25-12. Rich added another service ace during that stretch while Glanzer, Schmidt, and Aune all had kills.
The Eagles appeared in control once again in the third and final set when they led 20-14. However, the Violets, who were aiming to protect their home floor, fought back by scoring four straight points of their own. With their lead having been dwindled down to 20-18, the Eagles turned to
Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford). She put down back-to-back kills and #4 UNW was back up by four. The two teams would trade points until the scoreboard read 23-20 in favor of the Eagles. Schmidt picked up another kill and
Hannah Rich (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) delivered yet another ace to seal the third set victory for the Eagles. #4 UNW had swept the tenth ranked team in the country.
The UNW offense was extremely balanced and efficient; they finished with 40 team kills on a .294 percentage.
Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) had 10 kills and 9 digs.
Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) had 9 kills.
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) hit .467 on 8 kills while adding 2 aces.
Grace Moravchik (Mason, Wis./Ashland) had 7 kills and
Kiera Brown (Columbia Falls, Mont./Columbia Falls) added 6.
Balance was the name of the game for the Eagles when it came to their setters as well.
Grace Strickfaden (Norwood-Young America, Minn./NYA) had 17 assists and
Hannah Gadient (Goodhue, Minn./Goodhue) had 16.
Marylyn Schroyer (Ft. Collins, Colo./Ft. Collins) had 23 digs and 2 assists.
Hannah Rich (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) had an incredible night serving with all three of her aces coming at important times in the game. She also added 5 digs.
The Eagles have an Empire-sized Saturday ahead of them in the Empire State tomorrow (we only get three games in New York all season, please forgive us for the New York puns). #4 UNW will play #18 North Park at 1:30pm (ET) and Rowan at 4:00pm (ET). All games this weekend will take place at NYU.
