Northwestern
5-18,3-12Big Ten
Oregon
19-5,11-4Big Ten
'Cats Battle, Fall in Four to No. 11 Oregon
11/15/2024 10:21:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EUGENE, Ore. -- Northwestern once again battled a Top-25 opponent all the way, but the 'Cats eventually fell 3-1 (15-25, 25-22, 25-27, 20-25) to the No. 11 Oregon Ducks on Friday on the road at Matthew Knight Arena.
The loss dropped Northwestern's record to 5-18 overall and 3-12 in Big Ten action.
Buse Hazan finished with 12 kills on the day to lead the Wildcat attack, while Drew Wright got 11 digs to lead them defensively.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Wildcats found themselves in an early hole, dropping a tough first set 25-15.
SET 2 | Northwestern responded to pick up a 25-22 victory in the second set, however, evening the match at one set apiece. The Wildcats persevered in a back-and-forth set to win in a stanza that featured five lead changes and was tied 14 times. Neither team led by more than three points along the way.
SET 3 | Set three was back-and-forth all the way and was pushed to extra points, but Oregon outlasted the 'Cats to win their second set of the evening. Northwestern dropped the frame 27-25 after seven lead changes and 13 ties. Neither team had a lead of more than four points along the way.
SET 4 | Northwestern then lost the fourth set 25-20 to finish off the match. The Wildcats fell behind on the first point and fought from behind the rest of the way, narrowing the Ducks' lead to as little as three points before losing the set.
Game Notes
» Buse Hazan had a team-high 12 kills for Northwestern. She has paced the Northwestern offense in five of their last seven matches.
» Drew Wright reached double-digit digs for the eighth straight match with 11 on the evening.
» Northwestern attackers were helped by a team-high 25 assists from Alexa Rousseau, making it six of her last nine matches with 20 or more.
» Sophia Summers racked up four blocks and five kills in her return to the lineup after four matches away.
» With ten team blocks, Northwestern eclipsed the 200 mark on the season. The 'Cats have now recorded double-digit rejections in back-to-back matches.
Up Next
Northwestern will play the second half of their two-game West Coast road trip on Sunday afternoon at Washington. First serve between the 'Cats and the Huskies is set for 3 p.m. CT on B1G+.
