KIRKLAND, Wash. - Northwest University came ready to compete against the nationally ranked Yotes. In a tightly-contested match between two ranked opponents, the Eagles were able to come away with the sweep, 25-15, 25-22, 25-18. 

NU came out of the gates hot as they commanded the first set and quickly put distance between themselves and the Yotes. As the first set closed, the College of Idaho started to gain some momentum, but the Eagles had given themselves a large lead that proved difficult to overcome. 

The second set started similar to the first with the Eagles creating a dominant lead for themselves. However, midway through the set, the Yotes showed why they are nationally ranked. As they clawed their way back into the set, Northwest continued to battle to keep their lead. The Yotes fought to get within one, but two kills from Kaitlyn Mickle sealed the set and pushed the Eagles to 2-0 going into the third. 

Northwest continued their dominance in the third set and never lost the lead. While the Yotes still came close to tying the game multiple times in the set, NU was able to close out the match and end the weekend with a sweep. 

Mickle led the Eagles with 12 kills, and Kalli Budge totaled eight blocks on the night. 

"The College of Idaho has a history of excellence, so every time you square off, you have to bring your best effort," said NU Head Coach Steve Bain. "Our team has first-hand experience with that history, and they did a terrific job of staying on task throughout the match. I was especially pleased with our first contacts, which allowed us to keep Idaho's offense off balance and allowed us to score points at critical moments in the match."

Northwest will head to Lewiston, Idaho, to take on LC-State next Friday.