ST. PAUL, Minn.- It would be challenging to have a much more memorable night than what #6 University of Northwestern Volleyball had inside the Ericksen Center on Friday. It was an evening that marked the UMAC opener and multiple milestones for the program. The nationally ranked Eagles capped off the incredible night with a 3-0 win over conference foe Martin Luther.
The night got started in a memorable way as UNW Athletics held a pregame ceremony to honor
Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) for her recent milestone. Head Coach
Beth Wilmeth presented the junior with a ball to commemorate her 1,000
th career kill which she picked up on September 16
th against UW-Oshkosh. Friday's contest marked the first home game for the Eagles since Glanzer's accomplishment.
There was also fanfare after the contest as Head Coach
Beth Wilmeth joined her outside hitter in reaching a major career milestone. Friday night's win was the 500
th of Coach Wilmeth's illustrious career with all of those wins coming on the Eagles' sideline representing the purple and gold. Coach Wilmeth is the first coach in program history to surpass 500 career wins. She is also only the second coach in UNW Athletics history to reach the 500 win milestone, joining former Eagle baseball coach (and current UNW Volleyball Athletic Trainer)
Dave Hieb in the exclusive club.
Removing all of the drama happening before and after the game, there was still an important volleyball game to be played in between the lines. The Martin Luther College Knights were in town which marked the first conference game of the season as the Eagles began their quest for a 13
th straight conference championship on Friday night.
#6 UNW was back inside the Ericksen Center for the first time since September 2
nd and they were ready to put on a show for their fans early on. Martin Luther grabbed an early 4-3 lead, but the first set belonged to the Eagles after that. The Eagles scored five consecutive points (headlined by an
Ashley Hinrichs (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) ace and an
Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) kill) and went up 8-4. They would not look back for the rest of the set. The visiting Knights would cut the Eagle lead to 10-8 but
Mikayla Wilber (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids) took the serve for UNW and led her team on a 6-0 run to take a commanding lead. The Eagles would cruise on their way to a 25-16 first set victory.
The second set was far and away the most entertaining of the three on Friday night. The Eagles entered tonight's contest having not lost a set in UMAC play since October 30
th, 2021 against Bethany Lutheran. However, Martin Luther gave Northwestern everything they could handle in the second set as they set out to try and end that impressive streak.
#6 UNW had a 15-14 lead in the set before MLC would score three straight points to go up 17-15. The home team would battle back and regain the lead, 21-20, although that lead was short lived. The Knights went on another 3-0 run and held a 23-21 lead. The Eagles picked up a point thanks to a kill from
Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian), but the Knights immediately responded with a point of their own. UNW trailed 24-22 and was in serious danger of losing their first set to a UMAC opponent in almost two years.
There was no panic from the nationally ranked Eagles playing on their home floor. Glanzer and Schmidt each picked up kills to tie the game. The Knights used an attack error from the Eagles to go up 25-24 and have their second chance to win the set. Schmidt tied the game once again with a kill and an MLC attack error gave the Eagles a chance to win the set, leading 26-25. However, this time it was the Knights' turn to respond and they scored to tie the game at 26. The Knights committed a service error and then
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) finished the set off with a kill. The Eagles survived the second set and won 28-26.
The third set was much less stressful for the Eagles and their fans in attendance inside the Ericksen Center. UNW never trailed in the set and used a match-high .391 hitting percentage to win the decisive set 25-9. The Eagles swept the Knights to move to 1-0 in UMAC play, and 7-2 overall.
The Eagles' offensive attack was extremely balanced on their way to victory on Friday night.
Abby Glanzer (Brandon, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) led the team in kills with 14 while adding four blocks and two serving aces.
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) hit .429 on her way to nine kills, four blocks, and an ace.
Ari Schmidt (Albany, Minn./Holdingford),
Grace Moravchik (Mason, Wis./Ashland), and
Kiera Brown (Columbia Falls, Mont./Columbia Falls) all added five kills to the Eagle offense.
Grace Strickfaden (Norwood-Young America, Minn./NYA) had 21 assists, 12 digs, and two aces.
Hannah Gadient (Goodhue, Minn./Goodhue) chipped in 11 assists and two digs.
The Eagles will be right back at it tomorrow (Saturday, September 23
rd) with another UMAC contest. UNW will play host to the Bethany Lutheran College Vikings at 1:00pm inside the Ericksen Center. Eagle fans are encouraged to show up to the match early as the UNW Athletic Department will honor Head Coach
Beth Wilmeth for her 500
th career victory just before the start of the match.
