ST. PAUL, Minn.- The #5 ranked University of Northwestern Volleyball team started their 2023 season off on the right foot this weekend going undefeated at the season opening Kathryne Pals Legacy Invitational. The Eagles won both of their matches on Saturday afternoon defeating Coe (RV) and Concordia-Wisconsin to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Marylyn Schroyer (Ft. Collins, Colo./Ft. Collins) was named Tournament MVP and
Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) was named to the All-Tournament Team.
2023 Kathryne Pals Legacy Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Northwestern: Marylyn Schroyer (Ft. Collins, Colo./Ft. Collins) (Tournament MVP)
- Northwestern: Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian)
- Coe: Maddy Maahs
- Concordia-Wisconsin: Abby Proefrock
- Bethel: Danielle Friedges
Game One: Coe
For the second consecutive game to start the season, #5 UNW matched up with a team that entered the season receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25. This time, it was Coe College the Eagles were squaring off with and UNW won the match 3-1 to give the Kohawks their only loss of the weekend.
The Eagles rode the momentum from their season opening win on Friday night and started Saturday's match with a flourish. UNW scored the first seven points of set one to set the tone early. Coe got on the board with back-to-back points, but UNW answered right back with a string of four straight points to go up 11-2.
Coe would not go away in the middle part of the first set as they scratched and clawed their way back. Coe earned a point to make the game 16-12 in favor of the Eagles, and then UNW began to pull away. With
Hannah Rich (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) serving, the Eagles scored five straight to take a 21-12 lead. Coe would not be able to recover from that run and UNW took set one 25-14.
Despite winning the first set by a wide margin, the Eagles knew this would not be an easy match. These two teams played a five set thriller that went the Eagles' way in 2022. Coe bounced back in the second set by scoring the first three points to open set two. UNW would take a 10-8 lead before Coe scored four straight points. The set went back and forth and was tied 18-18 coming down the stretch. Trailing 23-21,
Marylyn Schroyer (Ft. Collins, Colo./Ft. Collins) made an incredible play to keep a ball alive and then finished the astonishing rally with a rare kill. However, Coe closed out the set with back-to-back points and won set two 25-22.
Tied at one set apiece, the third set looked like a tennis match early on. The two teams went back and forth trading blows without either team able to hold the serve for more than a couple of points. The Eagles had a slim 16-15 lead when
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) took the serve and UNW scored three straight points. UNW would not surrender the lead for the rest of the set, winning 25-19.
The Eagles were looking to close out the match in set four but faced some adversity early on, trailing 5-0. Coe held a 9-5 lead before the set turned in favor of the Eagles. It was a 6-0 run for the Eagles, led by the serving of Schroyer, which turned the momentum in the deciding set. The Eagles would cruise to a 25-16 victory.
Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) was a work horse for the UNW offense racking up a whopping 57 total attacks in the four sets, landing 19 kills.
Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford), 15, and
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy), 12, also had double digit kills.
Grace Strickfaden (Norwood-Young America, Minn./NYA) had 32 assists while
Hannah Gadient (Goodhue, Minn./Goodhue) added 18.
Marylyn Schroyer (Ft. Collins, Colo./Ft. Collins) earned her Tournament MVP honors by putting up a complete effort of 33 digs, 5 assists, and a kill.
Game Two: Concordia-Wisconsin
The Eagles would complete the sweep of the weekend by pulling off a sweep in their third and final game against Concordia-Wisconsin.
The visiting Falcons played hard all match long and did their best to hang around with the Eagles. UNW had the lead for the majority of the first set but never had the serve for more than four times in a row. The set went back and forth before the Eagles closed it out 25-17.
The second set was the closest and the most entertaining set of the match. This time, in the battle of the birds, it was the Falcons who had the lead for the majority of the set, including take an 18-13 lead into the late stages. However,
Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) took the serve for the Eagles as the team showed a lot of resiliency to get back into the set. Led by two
Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) kills, the Eagles scored five straight to tie the game at 18. CUW would immediately grab the lead back, but kills from
Kiera Brown (Columbia Falls, Mont./Columbia Falls) and
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) turned the lead back in UNW's favor, 20-19. Concordia-Wisconsin wasn't done. Later in the set, it was their turn to go on a run, and they scored three straight points to take a 23-22 lead. At this point, late in the set, the Eagles stepped up and put the game away by scoring three straight points.
Grace Moravchik's (Mason, Wis./Ashland) kill made it 23-23,
Abby Glanzer's (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) kill made 24-23, and a Falcon error ended the second set at 25-23 in favor of the Eagles.
The Eagles would take an early lead in the third set and would control the set throughout. Despite the Falcons making a run at the Eagle lead, UNW would hold on for a 25-19, match ending victory.
Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) led the way offensively racking up ten kills while Moravchik and Glanzer added eight each. Strickfaden had 18 assists and Schroyer had 16 digs.
Up Next
Sitting at 3-0, #5 UNW will have a week to rest and recover before they are back on the floor. The Eagles will be returning the favor to Coe College by traveling to compete in their tournament next weekend. The Eagles will square off with #12 Wisconsin-Whitewater in a rematch from last year's NCAA Division III Sweet 16 match and Cornell College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday, September 9th.
