Alva, Oklahoma- Northwestern Volleyball returned to action Saturday afternoon with a non conference doubleheader. The Rangers won to start the day sweeping Bethel College, followed by sweeping Central Christian College in the second match of the day.
Match 1:
The Rangers were led by Addison Wimmer with seven kills, followed by Kaydee Honeycutt with six. Courtney Russell led the team in blocks with four followed by Ravyn Burns. Kelsey Ripperger led with 11 assists followed by Abigail Burns with 10. Maggie Peterson led the team in digs with 11 and Parks with nine.
Set 1:
After trading points to open the match the Rangers responded by going on a 3-0 run to take a 4-1 lead and gain some separation. However the Threshers would battle back to tie the set at 5-5 with three straight kills. The match would stay locked at 7-7 and eventually 10-10 for the fourth lead change of the set when the Red-and-Black made their move. Northwestern would burst out to a 5-0 run led by Peterson's serve for two Bethel attack errors and a Honeycut kill. Northwestern would stay in attack mode building the lead to nine at 21-12 on three straight serves from Ripperger. Bethel tried to get back in the match cutting their deficit to six but a kill by Wimmer silenced the run and a Caitlin Strong service ace helped the Rangers close out the opening set of match one 25-16.
Set 2:
Northwestern wasted no time carrying the momentum in from set one opening the second set with the first four points of the set on serves from Peterson and kills from Honeycutt and Russell. With an 8-4 Rangers set lead they would rattle off three straight points to build an 11-4 lead behind three straight kills, one coming from Honeycutt, Madison Dehlinger, and Jessica Thompson. After a single Bethel point to end the run Rangers were right back at it with four straight points again from a Dehlinger kill and back to back attack errors from Bethel. With the set at 17-8 Rangers lead Northwestern would close the set out on a 8-1 run. This run was led by Peterson serves forcing multiple attack errors along with a block and kill from Russell on the run helping the Rangers close out the set with a 25-9 victory to take a 2-0 match lead over Bethel.
Set 3:
Bethel, trying to prevent the sweep, opened the third set fast with a 3-1 lead to start out with.Northwestern though would answer back with six consecutive points to gain the lead at 7-3. This was led by Ripperger's serves leading to three Bethel errors and a service ace to gain the four point lead the Rangers would never lose again in the set. The teams would trade points back and forth again until the Rangers made their next run with a 10-7 lead. This would come from Peterson's serve for six straight points to push the lead to nine behind Russell, and Ravyn Burns block. Following a Caitlin Strong service ace that pushed the Rangers lead to double digits for a 22-11 lead. The Rangers would close out the match sweep 3-0 with a 25-14 set victory for the Red-and-Black.
Match 2:
The Rangers were led in kills by Kaydee Honeycutt with 13, Madison Dehlinger and Austyn Pine with seven kills each. Pine and Ravyn Burns led the Rangers in blocks with six and five respectively. Abby Davis led with 23 assists followed by Kelsey Ripperger 12 and Tarra Parks with 12. Parks led the team in digs with 13 followed by Honeycutt.
Set 1:
The Tigers and Rangers traded points to begin the match but the Rangers followed that with back-to-back kills from Honeycutt to start a 8-0 run that included four total Honeycutt kills and a service ace from Davis who served all eight points. With the eight point lead the two teams would battle back and forth trading points keeping the eight point lead as the Rangers pushed it to nine followed by a kill from Pine giving the Rangers a 13-4 lead. The Tigers cut the deficit to seven a few times, the last one being 17-10 before a 4-0 run gave the Rangers their first double digit lead at 21-10. The Rangers led 22-14 when they closed the opening set on the 3-0 run on a kill from Ravyn Burns followed by two Tiger attack errors on Ripperger serves.
Set 2:
The second set opened with trading point to an even 2-2 game before the Rangers to a two point lead on a kill by Dehlingr and a service ace by Davis. The teams continued to trade points as the Rangers lead would grow to three on a Caitlin Strong serve to bring the set to 7-4. The Tigers would close the gap to one point in which the Rangers responded with a 7-0 run on serves from Strong. Northwestern would have two blocks on the run along with a kill from Pine to build the 19-11 lead. With a 20-13 lead Northwestern closed the set out on a 5-0 run to win set two 25-13 to take a two set lead in the match.
Set 3:
Northwestern continued their momentum jumping out to a 5-2 lead on a service ace from Davis followed by back-to-back kills one from pine and the other from Honeycutt. Central Christian went on their longest run of the afternoon with a 4-0 run to take a 6-5 lead in which the Rangers answered with a 5-0 run to take a 10-6 lead on a kill from Brooke Miller and back-to-back blocks by Dehinger and Pine. The next Ranger run would grow the lead to 14-8 on kills from Miller and Burns. A 3-0 run for the Rangers led by Dehlinger with two kills from the Ranger and a service ace from Davis. Northwestern closed out the set for a 25-16 win on a kill from Pine with two serves from Strong leading to an attack error to close the match.
Northwestern would sweep the doubleheader Saturday afternoon including winning all six sets against Bethel and Central Christian College. The Rangers will be back in action Tuesday September 28th as Northwestern travels to Weatherford to take on Southwestern Oklahoma State in Great American Conference play.
