<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0lWEic_0wEN0eYl00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0lWEic_0wEN0eYl00" width="800" height="450" >ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The No. 1 ranked Northwestern Raiders used an efficient attack and a scrappy defense to put the Midland Warriors away in a duel of top 20 teams inside the Bultman Center on Saturday afternoon."This was a really great match for us," head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch noted. "I thought defensively we really did a great job on their top attackers. Offensively to hit .440 as a team kill efficiency against a ranked team like Midland showed that we executed really well from the pass to the set to finishing the point. Our pre-serve intensity really allowed us to stayed focused throughout the match."NWC 3, MID 0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-17) How It HappenedNorthwestern used an early run by Jazlin Douma to take command of the first set 6-1 before Midland clawed back to tie the set at nine. The Raider attack didn't stop there as Alysen Dexter and Emma Westphal got in on the action, and the blocking of Zavyr Metzger stretched the Northwestern lead to eight as the home team closed in on a set one victory. Midland got a point back but it wasn't enough as Dexter finished off a Logan Miller assist and the duo of Metzger and Westphal sealed set one with an exclamation point.The action continued in the second set in a way that Raider fans are quite accustomed to: a Jazlin Douma kill. The two teams traded points as neither defense could pinpoint the other team's attack. Savonne Sterk introduced herself to the match in a big way as she recorded two quick kills to give the home squad the 8-6 advantage. A few more Raider points a couple serves later forced Midland to call timeout, and from there it was all Northwestern. Alysen Dexter put the punctuation on the set as a kill and service ace in succession closed the door on Midland in the stanza, as the Raiders hit a scintillating .556 and won 25-17.Northwestern continued the hot hitting as they came out swinging to the tune of an early 4-1 lead but the Warriors would not go easy into the night as they forced the set even at seven. Maddy Sampson gave the Raiders the lead back with a kill and stout defense from Metzger and Sterk continued to wreak havoc on the Warrior offense. From there the Raiders turned to their offense as Northwestern's superb efficiency carried them to a commanding 25-17 set three win, closing out the Warriors in straight sets.Game Notes:<ul><li>Northwestern continues their perfect season, moving to 23-0 overall and 12-0 in the GPAC.</li><li>The Raiders set a season-high, hitting an impressive .447 clip.</li><li>Liv Reitsma led all players with 21 assists, her 11th time this season surpassing 20 assists.</li><li>Zavyr Metzger added eight blocks, raising her total on the year to 154 total blocks, which leads the team.</li><li>Jori Hajek added 18 kills from the back row to increase her team lead to 357 on the season.</li><li>Jazlin Douma led all players with 18 kills, to go along with a .500 hitting percentage.</li></ul>Up Next: The Raiders travel to Sioux City to face the Briar Cliff Chargers on Wednesday night. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m.Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut</div></body>

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Raiders Conquer Warriors in Top 20 Matchup

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The No. 1 ranked Northwestern Raiders used an efficient attack and a scrappy defense to put the Midland Warriors away in a duel of top 20 teams inside the Bultman Center on Saturday afternoon. \"This was a really great match for us,\" head coach Kyle...

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The No. 1 ranked Northwestern Raiders used an efficient attack and a scrappy defense to put the Midland Warriors away in a duel of top 20 teams inside the Bultman Center on Saturday afternoon. "This was a really great match for us," head coach Kyle...