By Ron Smith
December 1, 2017
 
(SIOUX CITY, Iowa) Westmont Volleyball (36-3), the sixth-ranked team in the NAIA, swept #5 Northwestern of Iowa (30-6) today in the first round of the championship bracket at the NAIA National Championships. The Warriors triumphed by scores of 25-20, 25-16, 25-17,
 
Westmont moves on to the quarterfinals to take on #4 Dordt (Iowa) later this evening The Defenders overcame  Hastings (Neb.), the defending national champions, in four sets to reach the quarterfinal game. First serve is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.
 
"I'm pretty stoked," said Westmont junior setter Amy Buffham. "It shows that we have been working hard for this all season and that we belong here. Everyone gave everything that they have."
 
"It started out a little bit shaky and it made me kind of nervous," admitted head coach Patti Cook. "However, as the match progressed we became stronger and stronger. That was an unbelievable turn around. I told the team I was proud of how they put the pedal to the metal and kept moving forward."
 
The Warriors trailed by as much as five points (13-8) in the first half of the opening frame. However, Westmont put together a 12-3 run to take a 20-16 advantage. Right hitter Samantha Neely and outside hitter Taylor Beckman had two kills during the run while Libby Dahlberg and Cassidy Rea each added one. Beckman and Emma Harrah also teamed up for a block.
 
The Red Raiders closed to within two points 21-19, but Westmont scored on four of the final five rallies to claim a one-set-to-none lead.
 
Westmont never trailed in the remaining two sets. Up 9-8 in the second frame, Westmont produced a 5-0 run on two kills by Harrah, and one each by Hali Galloway, Rea and Dahlberg to go up 14-8. Northwestern would get within four at 18-14, but the Warriors closed out the set on a 7-2 run.
 
In the final set, Westmont settled matters quickly by jumping out to a 14-3 advantage. Buffham, Galloway and Lindsay Paulo helped the Warriors from the service line with Paulo notching two service aces during that stretch.
 
Dahlberg recorded a .579 attack percentage by tallying 12 kills on 19 attempts. Neely added nine more kills and hit .571. Buffham was credited with 18 assists while Camryn Kaina added 16.
 
"Camryn's fearlessness was great again," said Buffham. "You can't tell the freshman from not, which is super awesome, especially at this level where it is single elimination. Libby was on fire as always.
 
"Amy was a beast out there," said Cook. "She made some incredibly athletic plays. Off of a few subpar passes, she would turn it into a really good option. I love how she was setting our middles. On off plays, she was throwing it out to the outside. She was making great decisions with her offense and found holes in the block. Her serving was on fire."
 
Looking forward to the quarterfinals, Cook said, "We need to continue to play our game. If we stay steady and play for and with each other, and play with a lot of heart and a lot of passion, we are a hard team to beat. Our transition game is hard to beat. If we keep digging balls, we are going to win a lot of rallies.