Northwest Drops Final Match to Great Falls
SPOKANE, Wash. – The University of Great Falls (Mont.) defeated Northwest University 3-1 (20-25, 21-25, 24-21, 20-25) in their final match of the Cascade-Frontier Challenge in the HUB Sports Center.
After winning a hard fought five set match with Carroll, the Eagles played back-to-back matches taking on the Argonauts from Great Falls, Mont., almost immediately after the Carroll match.
Set one would see 8 ties in the first 22 points of the match as the teams battled. Three straight GFU kills would give the Argos the lead which they would maintain the rest of the set. A late NU comeback would pull the Eagles to within four, 24-20, but GFU would have enough to close out the set.
The second set would see 7 ties as NU would take a brief lead, 12-11, after an Argo attack error. The turning point in the set would come with the teams tied at 17-17. A Great Falls kill followed by four straight Eagle miscues would give the Argos the lead, 22-17, for good. Sarah Stoker would get the Eagles to within two, 22-20, but it wouldn't be enough as GFU would pull out the set win.
The third set would be all Eagles as they would bolt to a 10-3 lead, scoring eight straight points including four straight kills by Olivia VanDlac, Lauryn Ernster and two by Sarah Stoker. GFU would make a late run, but it wouldn't be enough to catch the Eagles.
In the final set, the teams would battle hard once again and GFU would hold a 16-11 lead, but three straight NU points would make it 16-14. UGF would then begin to pull away and an NU error would make it a 23-16 lead for the Argonauts. The Eagles wouldn't have enough as GFU would earn the set and match victory.
Breanna Covey led Northwest U. (2-3) with 12 kills and 12 digs. Sarah Stoker hit .500 for the match and totaled 11 kills and sophomore teammate Olivia VanDlac also had 11 kills for the Eagles. Heather Shulke led the team with 22 digs and freshman setter Ashton Arbuthnot had a team high 22 assists. Lauryn Ernster had 17 assists and 7 digs.
Great Falls (6-3) Kelsey Vanuden had a match high 18 kills and added 9 digs while teammate Jenna Prescott had a match high 25 digs. Averi Pasma and Kila Adams each added 22 assists for the Argos.
“After a hard fought match against Carroll, we faced another tough opponent in Great Falls,” said Steve Bain, NU head coach. “We served and passed well but not good enough to force the fifth set. All in all, it was a good three days for the team.”
Northwest returns home to begin conference play next weekend when they host the College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon on Friday, Aug. 31, and Saturday, Sept. 1.