Northwestern
5-7,0-1Big Ten
#12 Nebraska
7-3,1-0Big Ten
'Cats Take No. 12 Nebraska to Four Sets
9/22/2021 10:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern dropped their Big Ten opener to No. 12 Nebraska, 3-1, marked by winning the Wildcats' first set against No. 12 Nebraska since 2013 to roaring applause in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Hanna Lesiak was once again a force on all sides of the ball, registering 12 kills on .256 hitting percentage, an ace and 11 digs. Leilani Dodson followed with 11 kills and two blocks. Meanwhile, Alexa Rousseau ran the offense with poise and posted a whopping 32 assists.
Northwestern got off to a slow start but resilience and creativity from the Wildcats when they were out of system prevented Nebraska from running away with their advantage. Despite the effort, the 'Cats were unable to take the first set and started the match with a 25-21 loss. The Wildcats put up another strong performance in the second set but suffered another 25-21 loss and faced a 2-0 deficit going into the third set.
Lesiak got Northwestern off to a great start in set three, grabbing three kills and an ace. The Cornhuskers were able to tie things up and take a slim lead, but the Wildcats found a quick response and stopped Nebraska from finding an advantage. An ace from Megan Miller gave Northwestern a two-point lead and forced a timeout. The Cornhuskers came up with nothing out of the time out and the 'Cats managed to stay ahead for the rest of the set. The Wildcats took the third set 25-23, match point coming off a successful challenge from head coach Shane Davis.
Unfortunately Northwestern wasn't able to carry the momentum into the fourth and final set, dropping the match 3-1. The Wildcats will continue Big Ten play on the road against Illinois on Saturday at 7 p.m. central.
