SIOUX CITY, Iowa - [BRACKET | SCHEDULE & SCORES] The quarterfinal round of the 2023 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship presented by Marriot South Sioux City Riverfront and Riverside Technologies Inc., saw three four set matches and one five set match that capped off the day. Of the four teams that advanced, two teams have competed in the semifinals before and none of them have won a title or advanced past the semifinal round. 

No. 1 Northwestern (Iowa) (30-2) def. No. 9 Vanguard (Calif.) (29-2), 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-14)

• The teams opened set one by trading scoring runs but after a tie score of 15, Vanguard (Calif.) strung together three and four point runs, whereas Northwestern (Iowa) struggled to put two points together. The Lions won set one on an 8-2 scoring run.
• NWC kicked off the second set by keeping the Lions from putting together any runs until 6-11 when VU went on a six point run that would give Vanguard its first lead of the set. After a Red Raider time-out, the teams went back and forth, going point for point and scoring run for scoring run as Northwestern held a slim two point lead that the team held onto for the 25-23 set two win.
• The Red Raiders opened set three with a four point scoring run. NWC would lead by as many as six points in the set but the Lions chipped away at the score and closed the gap to tie the score at 17 but thanks to another four point run for Northwestern, the Red Raiders had the space they needed to close the third set with a score of 25-22.
• Northwestern controlled the fourth set from beginning to end. NWC opened the set with a 13-5 scoring run and only allowed Vanguard one or two points at a time, which prevented the Lions from closing the scoring gap. The Red Raiders final six point run came from four attack errors from the Lions that gave Northwestern the 25-14 set four win.
• Jazlin De Haan of Northwestern led all attackers with 15 kills in the match. Adeline Galvanoni and Morgan Cole from Vanguard followed De Haan as both recorded 12 kills.
• NWC was a force at the net with 26 assisted blocks and one solo block compared to the Lions 12 assisted blocks and two solo blocks. The Northwestern block helped to hold the Lions offense to 0.087 attack percentage in the match.
• Zavyr Metzger led the blocking effort for the Red Raiders with eight block assists.
• Natalie Escher of VU posted an impressive 28 digs in the match for an average of seven digs per set.
• Northwestern now boasts a 16 match win streak and snapped the Lions 27 match win streak with the quarterfinal loss.
• This was the eighth quarterfinal appearance for NWC and the first time that the Red Raiders advanced to the semifinals.

No. 5 Viterbo (Wis.) (34-4) def. No 13 Midland (Neb.) (18-12), 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 25-21)

• Set one saw Viterbo (Wis.) take an early 7-3 lead over Midland (Neb.). The V-Hawks held Midland to only one or two points at a time through the entire set as they maintained the lead and captured the 25-19 opening set win.
• Viterbo opened the second set with a 5-2 run that Midland chipped away at and turned the tide with a 10-4 run to close out set two with a final score of 25-19 and tie the match at one set apiece.
• A 5-3 lead for the V-Hawks in the third set quickly turned to a tie score at six. The teams matched each other point for point until the end of the set, when Viterbo started to string together two and three point scoring runs to create enough space to close the third set 25-21.
• Midland opened the fourth set 5-0 before Viterbo called its first time out. After the time out, the V-Hawks worked their way to a tie game at six all. Six scoring ties later, Viterbo closed out set four on a 7-3 run and a kill off the hand of Kenzie Winker.
• Kenzie Winker of Viterbo led all scorers with 18 kills. Her teammate, Grace Rohde followed close behind with 15 kills of her own.
• The teams nearly matched each other in five different statistical categories (Viterbo, Midland): kills (56, 52), assists (53, 52), service aces (5,3), digs (78, 74), block assists (18, 18).
• This will be the sixth semifinal appearance for the V-Hawks.

No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan (36-0) def. No. 10 Jamestown (N.D.), 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-21)

• Set one went point for point until Jamestown (N.D.) tied the score at 11 and captured the following two points to take the first sizeable lead of the match. While Indiana Wesleyan remained close, the Jimmies maintained that initial lead to a 25-23 opening set win.
• Set two opened with a 5-1 run for an early lead for UJ and the Wildcats answered with a 10-3 run to overtake the lead. Jamestown made a late five point run as they fended off an IWU set point but a kill from the hand of Martina Demarchi would seal the deal at 25-21 and tie the match at one set apiece.
• The Jimmies opened set three with a 7-3 run and continued to extend their lead to as much as seven points. However, the momentum shifted and IWU went on a nine point run to take its first lead of the match. The Wildcats only allowed UJ four points after that nine point run as they closed out the third set 25-18.
• The Wildcats captured an early lead in set four and maintained that lead through the entire set despite the Jimmies trailing close behind.
• Eva Joldersma of Indiana Wesleyan led all scorers with 22 kills in the match. Joldersma was followed by Aleah Zieske of Jamestown with 16 kills of her own.
• The teams were neck and neck in two different statistical categories (IWU, UJ): assists (54, 52), digs (88, 84), assisted blocks (10,10).
• The statistical category where Indiana Wesleyan had the largest difference was kills with 60 in the match compared to the Jimmies 56.
• The Wildcats continue their season to the semifinals for the first time and without a blemish on their record.

No. 3 Eastern Oregon (34-1) def. No. 11 Columbia (Mo.) (32-7), 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 15-12)

• Set one opened with a 5-2 lead in favor of Eastern Oregon. Columbia made its move for the lead after tying the score at eight all. After a tie score of nine, a 4-1 run gave the Cougars their first lead of the match. The Mountaineers answered with a run of their own. The teams traded points until EOU landed a three point run at 22 all to win the first set 25-22.
• The teams battled back and forth to open the second set. It wasn’t until a five point run that tied the score at eight and proceeded to give Eastern Oregon a three point lead that they would extend to as many as six points before closing the set 25-20.
• The lead initially went to the Mountaineers in set three until 18-13, when the Cougars went on a 12-4 run that gave CC its first set win of the night.
• The Cougars rode the momentum from the previous set to an early 7-2 lead in the fourth set. CC held onto that lead despite EOU closing the scoring gap to one point and with a 25-23 set four win, Columbia sent the match to a fifth set.
• The battle continued in set five as the teams traded points until a tie score of five when Eastern Oregon went on a five point run to create the space they needed to close out set five 15-12.
• Kiera Vaughn of EOU led all scorers with 27 kills on the night. Her teammate Sade Williams followed with 20 kills of her own.
• The Mountaineers led an extraordinary defensive effort at the net with a total of 32 block assists. Kiauna Mack led EOU in blocks and totaled 12 block assists.
• Eastern Oregon advances to the semifinals for the second time in as many years as the team extended its season win streak to 23.