#7 Northwestern Defeats Broncos in 3 Sets
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hastings (4-13, 1-6) | 24 | 15 | 19 | 0 |
|
Northwestern (15-3, 7-0) | 26 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
(Orange City, IA) – Taking on #7 Northwestern, who entered the game undefeated in conference play, Hastings came out strong in the first set, but Northwestern ultimately won the set and the match, 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-19).
Hastings took an 8-4 lead early in the first set, getting a couple of kills from sophomore Makenna Sutter. The Red Raiders came back and went up 9-8, but the Broncos then won five of the next six and had a 12-5 extended run to take a 20-14 lead, with senior Alexis Pontine assisting multiple Broncos for kills.
The Red Raiders closed the gap to two at 20-18, then with Hastings leading 22-20, junior Ilse Benne and Pontine got kills to go up 24-20. The Red Raiders answered with back-to-back kills and capitalized on consecutive Bronco errors to tie it at 24. Northwestern won the next two points, including a kill on set point, to win it 26-24.
Northwestern opened the second set strong with a 9-3 advantage. Kills by Sutter and Benne helped inch the Broncos closer to 11-7, but Northwestern eventually pushed the lead out to nine at 21-12. The Red Raiders eventually took the second set, 25-15.
The third set started similarly to the second, as Northwestern held a 9-3 lead. Later in the set after back-to-back kills by sophomore Londyn Carnes and freshman Klarissa Dowdy, Hastings cut the deficit to three at 10-7. The Red Raiders countered with a 9-2 run to go up 19-9.
Trailing 21-12 in the third, Hastings started to make a late run. Sophomore Mikah O'Neill and Kaleah Olson each got a kill, and after a Red Raider kill, Hastings captured four straight points to make it 23-19. Northwestern captured the third set and the match with two straight kills to win, 25-19.
Sutter led Hastings with seven kills, whille Benne and Dowdy added six kills. Sutter also led the team in digs with 15, along with 12 digs from sophomore Lainey Benson. Pontine had a team-high 14 assists, while freshman Fran Warson contributed 13 assists.
Up next, Hastings will play at Waldorf tomorrow at 3pm.
