MOORHEAD, Minn. - After seeing its six-game winning streak snapped Wednesday night at the hands of No. 8 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the University of Northwestern Volleyball team got right back to its winning ways on Saturday, traveling to Concordia College and sweeping the Cobbers.
Ella Bourne (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) and
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) each picked up early aces as UNW opened up a 12-5 lead in set one.
Anna Olsen (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) and
Anja Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) began to heat up on the outside as the lead grew to 20-10, and the double-digit margin would stand as Aune, Olsen,
Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) and
Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian) each picked up kills to close out the set, 25-15.
Concordia took an early lead in the second set, but a 5-0 run for the Eagles gave them an 8-5 advantage. Northwestern extended the lead to 18-12 as Aune and Jarchow each picked up a kill and teamed up for a block, but the Cobbers scored the next five to pill within one. Three kills by Olsen and one from Aune put UNW in front, 23-20, but the hosts were able to even the score at 24-all. One more Aune kill and a Concordia attack error allowed the Eagles to escape with a 26-24 win to go up 2-0.
Two early Jarchow kills in set three allowed Northwestern to hold a slight edge and set the table for a 6-1 spurt to make it 11-5 in favor of the purple in which Egge logged a pair of kills. The Cobbers were able to even the score at 14, but kills from Jarchow, Egge and Wyatt put UNW back in front, 21-18. The next three points went Concordia's way to knot up the set once more, but the Eagles once again answered back to take a two-point lead. After the Cobbers tied it at 23-apiece,
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) took matters into her own hands, finishing off the match with her seventh kill of the night. The 25-23 win gave Northwestern another sweep under its belt.
Jarchow was the most efficient Eagle at the net, collecting nine kills on .304 hitting. Aune, Olsen, Egge and Wyatt each finished with seven kills, with Aune and Egge adding three blocks and Wyatt two.
Mikayla Wilber (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids) led the team in digs with 13, while
Hannah Rich (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) added 10. Bourne and Aune notched the only two aces of the game for UNW, and
Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove) contributed 33 assists.
Northwestern will begin a four-match UMAC homestand on Tuesday night when it hosts Martin Luther at 7:00 PM.
