Northwestern College defeated seventh-ranked and top-seeded Dickinson State, 30-24, in a one-game playoff to advance to the regional final. Game time for the championship match will be at 7:00 pm. The Red Raiders knocked off the Blue Hawks for the second straight day as they jumped out to a 7-3 and then 10-4 lead. Dickinson battled back to tie the game at 17 and led for the first time, 18-17, when Coach Van Den Bosch called his final timeout. The Red Raiders scored the next point and the two teams exchanged points/serve until NWC went on a 5-0 run to take the lead for good, 24-19. Kaitlin Beaver had two kills during the run and Janna Bloemendaal recorded an ace serve. Dickinson State cut the lead back to four on two different occasions, the last coming on a kill by 6-4 Judith Boel from the Netherlands which made the score 27-23. NWC answered right back, though, and scored three of the final four points, two coming by Megan Meyer kills, to win, 30-24.
Meyer had six kills to lead NWC and Kaitlin Beaver added four in the tie-break game. Bloemendaal and Kristin Kooima had one ace serve.
Northwestern will now play against 11th- ranked National American at 7:00 pm tonight for the regional championship.
2007 media guide
