Box Score SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The 18th-ranked Lawrence Technological (Mich.) University women's volleyball team fell to No. 2 Northwestern (Iowa) 3-0 (25-27, 25-27, 23-25) on Wednesday night in their second match of the 2019 NAIA National Championship presented by Marriott South Sioux City Riverfront Pool Play.
Lawrence Tech (32-3) took the No. 2-ranked Raiders to the limit as they lost the opening set 27-25. The Blue Devils jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the first set as Zakia Hunt had a couple kills to open the match while Varvara Gromakova served for the LTU. The Raiders battled back to tie it at 9-9, one of four ties to come as they teams traded points until Lawrence Tech took a 17-14 lead as Mackenzie Fisher served them into the lead. Northwestern (29-1) responded with a 5-1 run to take a 19-18 lead, but Lawrence Tech retook the lead at 20-19 and went up 24-22. The Raiders battled back to tie it following a pair of Blue Devil errors and took the set 27-25 on another LTU error.
The Blue Devils trailed Northwestern 6-3 early in the second set, but battled back to tie it at 6-6 on Fisher's serve. Lawrence Tech than took the lead at 11-8 as Gromakova had two assists off Hyduk's serve. The Red Raiders followed with a 6-1 run to go up 14-12 on the Blue Devils. The teams continued to trade points as the Blue Devils tied it up at 18-18 off a Hyduk ace, but Northwestern answered with a 3-0 run to take a 21-18 lead. Hunt cut the lead to 21-19, but the Raiders took two of the next three points to go up 23-20. With Lodge serving, the Blue Devils won the next three points to tie it up at 23-23, 24-24, and 25-25. An error by Lawrence Tech and a kill by Northwestern saw the Raiders take the set 27-25.
Lawrence Tech played very well on the defensive end as four players finished the match with double-figure digs led by Kristi Doherty with 18 digs to go with 43 assists and three kills. Shelby Rasch finished with 14 digs followed by Hyduk with 11, and Reinali Calisin with 10 digs. Lawrence Tech finished the match with 75 total digs.
The Blue Devils used that defense to help them to a 4-1 lead in the third set, but two aces from the Raiders and an LTU error tied it at 4-4. It was the first of four ties in the early stages of the set with the teams trading points at 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, and 8-8. Northwestern would take a 12-8 lead on four straight points, but an 8- 4 run by the Blue Devils tied it back up at 16-16.
Gromakova gave Lawrence Tech the 17-16 lead, however the Raiders won the next four points to retake the lead at 20-17. Gromakova would break the run, putting LTU within two at 20-18. Hunt tied the match at 21-21 and again two points later at 22-22. Northwestern took the next point, but Lodge's kill tied it once again at 23-23. The Raiders would end the match with a pair of kills from Anna Wedel to seal the match 25-23.
The Blue Devils finished the match hitting .250 with 53 kills and 16 errors while Northwestern hit .301 with 48 kills and seven errors. Hunt led the team in kills with 18 and hitting percentage at .424. McDonald and Gromakova each finished with 11 kills while Lodge and Hudson added five each.
Lawrence Tech wraps up pool play on Thursday when they face Martin Methodist (Tenn.) at 9 p.m. EST at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
