Northwestern AthleticsThu, December 4, 2025 at 4:41 AM UTC·3 min readSIOUX CITY, Iowa (Northwestern) – The No. 2-seeded Red Raider volleyball team took down 23-seeded and No. 18-ranked Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) on Wednesday evening to kick off Pool Play at the NAIA Final Site.
NWC 3, LC 0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-22)How It HappenedNorthwestern swept Lewis-Clark State on Wednesday at the Tyson Events Center, claiming victory with scores of 25-18, 25-14, and 25-22 in Pool Play of the NAIA tournament. The Raiders showcased a team hitting percentage of .220 and tallied nine total blocks in the win.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Raiders started strong, even after falling behind with an early 3-0 deficit. LC State took advantage of Raider errors, briefly leading 6-1 to start the match. Northwestern turned the tide with a series of impressive kills from Zavyr Metzger and Emma Westphal, surging ahead to a 12-7 lead after a seven-point rally. Despite calling a timeout with Northwestern in the midst of a 6-0 run, the Warriors were unable to slow Northwestern’s momentum. The Raiders extended their lead, with the set-clinching kill delivered by Westphal at 25-18. Metzger and Westphal were defensive dynamos, setting the tone for a commanding opening set.
Northwestern dominated the second set, wrapping it up at 25-14. The Raiders kicked off with a kill from Rylie Franken, assisted by Liv Reitsma, to edge ahead 2-1. Capitalizing on LC State’s attack errors, Metzger and Westphal combined for a crucial block, widening the lead to 4-1. Stella Winterfeld’s impactful kills, with support from Reitsma, kept the momentum alive. LC State called a timeout at 18-11 following a Warrior service error and an ace for Reitsma, but Northwestern stayed in control, with a block by Metzger and Winterfeld sealing the set.
In a closely contested third set, Northwestern prevailed 25-22. The Raiders charged to an early 4-0 lead, thanks to back-to-back kills by Rylie Franken from Reitsma’s sets. LC State pushed back with a series of blocks and attacks, closing in at 7-6. However, the Raiders reclaimed momentum as Nyah Potthoff delivered a kill, a block, and a service ace, extending the lead to 12-4. Seven of the next eight points then went to the Warriors, forcing a Raider timeout at 13-11.
The Raider lead grew after timeout adjustments, as Northwestern surged forward to a 19-15 lead, making the Warriors use their final timeout. After LC State’s 3-0 run to make it 21-20, the sides traded points, while Northwestern overturned a touch call to bring it to a 24-22 set point. Stella Winterfeld then sealed the sweep with her 13th kill of the night, pushing the Raiders to their 30th win on the year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMATCH NOTES:
Zavyr Metzger led the defense with eight blocks, also putting up six kills.
Liv Reitsma surpassed the 1,000-dig mark for her career.
Reitsma had 14 assists and seven digs in the match.
Nyah Potthoff and Sidney Oostra had three service aces each.
Oostra added seven kills and 10 digs to her stat line.
Stella Winterfeld led all players with 13 kills.
Emma Westphal recorded six kills and five blocks.
Up Next: The Raiders will continue in Pool Play of the NAIA tournament on Friday, meeting Aquinas (Mich.) at 3:30 p.m.
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