Staff photo by Ali Selvey Grace Kieselhorst, 11, of Martin Luther College dives during the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball game against Northwestern College on Saturday at MLC. and dig.
NEW ULM — Northwestern University dominated Martin Luther University, 25-16, 25-17, 25-18, in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference vs. Martin Luther University volleyball game on Saturday. I won.
This sweep probably isn’t surprising, as the Eagles are the top-ranked team in Division III volleyball, Region IX, and won DIII volleyball’s NCAA National Player of the Year in Abby Glanser last year. .
MLC played a doubleheader on Saturday and lost to North Central University in four sets earlier in the day.
Grace Kieselhorst led the Knights with six kills, seven set assists and one block, while Ella Schlei had four kills. Anna Kieselhorst had eight goals and Ella Waltz had 10 set assists and three goals.
MLC battled Northwestern early in the first set with the Eagles holding a 1-2 point lead and Grace Kieselhorst getting two kills to keep the game at 11-10. Northwestern then went on an 8-0 run to take a 19-10 lead, which was ultimately stopped by a kill from Lydia Fate. Fate and Schlei each had blocks to cut the lead to 20-15, but Northwestern put together a 5-1 run to end the set.
The second set was similarly close early, but Northwestern broke away early with a quick 4-0 run to take an 11-6 lead and force an MLC timeout. An ace from Madeline Romsdal kept the lead at 16-11, but Northwestern went on another 4-0 run to take a 20-11 lead. Despite kills from Schlei and Grace Kieselhorst, the Eagles won the set 25-17.
In the third set, MLC lost again 11-6, with two kills from Elena Brauer keeping MLC in the set. Both teams battled for several sets, but Northwestern regained a 24-14 lead in the final half. MLC led 4-0, starting with a kill from Romsdal, but Northwestern took the set and took the lead on a block from Ohne Marley.
MLC (4-13, 1-3) travels to Crown College on Friday.
Prep Football Cathedral 48, Madelia 0 Madelia — Cathedral had a shutout win over Madelia, 48-0, in nine-man South.
