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Northwest Nazarene University Athletics

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Clan score key points late to fend off Crusaders

| By: Mike Stetson, Sports Information Director
Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho — The Crusaders just couldn't come up with the big play when they needed it most.

In a battle for third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference against visiting Simon Fraser, the key points late in each set were won by the Clan, who left the Johnson Sports Center on the NNU campus with a 27-25, 25-22, 25-23 win over Northwest Nazarene in volleyball Saturday night.

"We played another tough match against a very good team," NNU head coach Doug English said. "We blocked well and dug well, they just made one more play than us at the end of each set."

Coming off a huge win over No. 15 Western Washington in five sets on Thursday, the Crusaders (17-6 overall, 10-6 GNAC) jumped up 6-1 early as Madi Farrell, Kendra Bodine and Natalie Knauf all had a kill for NNU.

But the Clan (18-6, 11-5) managed to slowly chip away and tied it, 16-16, on a tandem block by Tamara Nipp and Tessa May.

NNU still held the lead late, up 22-21 after a Farrell kill, but then the key points down the stretch went the Clan's way, with a Kirsten Pinkney kill finishing off the Simon Fraser comeback.

The Crusaders didn't jump out to the same kind of lead in the second set, but a tandem block by Knauf and Cami Heninger had NNU in front 17-13 late, and poised to even the match.

But a 10-2 run turned the set around for the Clan, who got an Emma Jennings and May block to finish off their second win of the night.

The third and final set of the night proved to be much the same, with NNU holding an 18-16 lead after a Heninger kill and a 20-17 advantage, only to see the Clan come up with the big points late, finishing the win with a tandem block by Nipp and May.

Bodine and Farrell each had 11 kills to lead NNU, while Farrell added seven blocks.

Hailey Cook added 37 assists and 15 digs, Mari Thomas had 20 digs, and Shayli Siegfreid made 15 digs for NNU, which now hits the road for another big match, playing at GNAC leader and No. 11 Alaska Anchorage on Thursday.

"We will learn from this and hopefully be better from it," English said.
 
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