After both having extra time off, the Shawnee Braves and the Northwestern Warriors will shake off the cobwebs and hit the court against one another at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Last Thursday, Shawnee didn't have quite enough to beat Benjamin Logan and fell 3-2. The Braves haven't had much luck with the Raiders recently, as the team has come up short the last nine times they've met.
Shawnee took Benjamin Logan into a fifth set but they suffered a heartbreaking six-point loss. The match finished with set scores of 25-18, 24-26, 23-25, 25-9, 15-9.
The losing side was boosted by Taylor Harris, who had nine digs.
Meanwhile, Northwestern came up short against North Union on Wednesday and fell 3-1.
Shawnee will have to contain Ava Berner as she made an impact in Northwestern's last game. She had 19 digs and two aces. Berner is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had ten or more in each of the last 11 games she's played. Claire Stott also deserves some recognition as she had her first block of the season.
Shawnee's record now sits at 9-13. As for Northwestern, their record is now 14-8.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's contest: Shawnee has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 9.9 aces per game. However, it's not like Northwestern struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.9 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Shawnee couldn't quite get it done against Northwestern in their previous matchup two weeks ago as they fell 3-1. Can the Braves avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
