Staff photo by Ari Selvey
Martin Luther College’s Grace Kieselhorst (11) dives for a dig during an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball match against Northwestern College Saturday at MLC.

NEW ULM — Northwestern swept Martin Luther College during an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball match against Martin Luther College on Saturday, winning 25-16, 25-17, 25-18.

The sweep is perhaps not a surprise, as the Eagles are the top-ranked team in Region IX of Division III volleyball and was the NCAA National Player of the Year in DIII volleyball last year in Abby Glanzer.

MLC played a double header on Saturday, falling 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 digs, and Ella Walz had 10 set assists and three digs.

MLC played Northwestern close early in Set 1, with the Eagles holding onto a one or two point lead and Grace Kieselhorst getting a pair of kills to keep the game at 11-10. Northwestern then went on a 8-0 run to take a 19-10 lead that was finally stopped by a kill by Lydia Feidt. Feidt and Schlei each had a block to help cut the lead to 20-15, but Northwestern put together a 5-1 run to end the set.

Set 2 was similarly close early, but Northwestern broke away earlier with a quick 4-0 run to go up 11-6 and force an MLC timeout. Madelinn Romsdahl got an ace to help hold the lead at 16-11, but Northwestern went on another 4-0 run to go up 20-11. Despite kills by Schlei and Grace Kieselhorst, the Eagles went on to win the set 25-17.

Set 3 saw MLC down 11-6 once again, with a pair of kills by Elena Brauer helping keep MLC in the set. The teams battled for a few sets, but Northwestern climbed out to a 24-14 lead late. MLC went on a 4-0 run, started off with a kill by Romsdahl, but Northwestern took the set and the game with a block by Aune Marley.

MLC (4-13, 1-3) travels to Crown College on Friday.