Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – No. 13-ranked Midland University met up with No. 3-ranked Northwestern College on Saturday inside the Wikert Event Center for a marquee matchup in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). The Red Raiders took top billing as they won in straight sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-20). The setback drops the Warriors to 8-6 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
The first few points of the match went to the visitors as they opened up with the first six points. Midland responded with a 4-1 stretch as they attempted to battle back. They would get within two points, 12-10 before the Raiders went on a four-point rally. Another run of four put the set firmly in the hands of the Raiders and they closed out the first with a 25-18 win.
After trading the first few points to start the second, the Warriors used a run of six-point run to go from down one to up 10-5. A timeout from Northwestern ensued and they regrouped to go on a 6-1 run, tying the set at 11-11.
The set remained tight, with the teams playing to a 20-20 tie. Back-to-back points for the Red Raiders put them in front and they remained there as they took the second by a score of 25-22.
Things did not start well for Midland in the third as Northwestern marched out to a 12-1 lead. A brief run for Midland narrowed the lead to 16-11. They would get as close as 23-20, forcing a timeout from the Raiders, but back-to-back points ended the match, 25-20.
“I was really disappointed in our play today and that comes back to me as a coach,” commented Paul Giesselmann, head coach of the Warriors. “We did not do a good job of preparing for the game today. We’ve got to find a better way of getting the team prepared and start playing well on a consistent basis.”
Northwestern hit .232 on the attack while limiting Midland to a .094 hitting percentage. They did so with a stout block at the net that yielded 20 blocks.
Leading the attack for the Warriors was Lauren Williams with 12 kills on the afternoon. Abbey Ringler added nine while Jacki Apel had seven to round out the top three.
Defensively, Kailyn Scott and Delanie Vallinch each had 10 digs in the back row. At the net, Williams and Lauryn Williams each had a pair of block assists. Jessie Moss finished with two service aces.
“You’ve got to give Northwestern credit,” added Coach Giesselmann. “We’ve played most of the top teams in the country this year, and this is the best team I’ve seen. They are a really talented team and I think their defense in the back row is what makes them better this year than they have been in the past.”
Midland (8-5, 4-2 GPAC) will have a full week of practice before taking the court next Friday. They’ll travel to Sioux City, Iowa to take on Morningside (8-11, 2-4 GPAC) in a conference match inside the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center. The first serve is set for 7:30 p.m. on September 27.
