NAMPA, Idaho – Madi Farrell has never dunked a basketball or hit a home run, but she has hit a perfect kill.

The Northwest Nazarene University middle hitter is part of a one-two punch for the Nighthawks who cause terror for opposing defenses. Along with outside hitter Kendra Bodine, the two routinely rack up double-digit kills every match.

"I challenge myself to do the best I can," Farrell said, "so when I do get a good kill or a good block, it is a good feeling."

Bodine, a senior from Eugene, Ore., said for her part she gets fired up every single time she has a successful attack – and she's had 301 of them this season.

"There is a really deep in your stomach feeling when you get a good kill," she said. "Even when Madi gets some of her kills, I get super pumped about it from the back row. It is motivation for our team and momentum."

The Nighthawks (24-2, 16-2 GNAC) play at 8 p.m. MST on Thursday at Western Washington and at 8 p.m. MST on Saturday at Simon Fraser. If NNU wins both matches it will be the GNAC co-champions with Western Washington but more importantly will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships.

"The best part of this team mid-to-late season is that we have all stepped up," said Farrell, who is from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. "Everyone can put the ball away and get a kill. We are peaking at the right time."

While NNU is certainly a well-rounded team, Farrell and Bodine make the Nighthawks click offensively.

They both have different responsibilities on offense, with Farrell hitting and blocking while Bodine hits, blocks, receives and serves.

Both players give credit to setter Hailey Cook for setting them up for success. Farrell said her job is easier than Bodine's because she tends to get a cleaner set, while Bodine deals with a variety of different passes from bumps, to other players setting to back-row attacks.

"I feel like Hailey has put me in spots where I'm not getting trapped in the blocks," Farrell said. "If you know a hitter has to put it down, the set has to be near perfect – so it puts a lot of pressure on the setter."

Both players said there is often a moment when they know they will be successful in their attack, though they often don't decide where they are hitting until they are in mid-air – as it depends on the block setup by the other team and where the seams are in the defense.

"Sometimes I can see the blockers and sometimes I can't," Bodine said. "When in doubt, I go down the line. Usually I can get a kill or chip it. If I see nobody, I swing as hard as I can."

Bodine leads the GNAC in kills with 301, while Farrell is fifth at 261. Farrell leads the conference in hitting percentage at .409, while Bodine is eighth at .285. Anything above .250 for an outside hitter and above .300 for a middle is considered very good.

"I feel like I've clicked more offensively than the past three years," Farrell said. "That's due to our passing, setting and our other hitters. (How good you do) is always based on how the other team perceives your other hitters."

Based on the stats, it's safe to say NNU's opponents have correctly perceived they are in trouble when Farrell or Bodine rise up for an attack.