Northwestern
4-17,2-11Big Ten
Penn State
23-1,13-0Big Ten
No. 3 Penn State Outlasts Northwestern, 3-1
11/8/2024 8:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern kept pace with No. 3 Penn State nearly all the way, but ultimately couldn't hold on and lost 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 27-29, 21-25) to the Nittany Lions Friday at home at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The loss dropped Northwestern's record to 4-17 overall and 2-11 in Big Ten action.
The Wildcats attack was paced by Buse Hazan, who finished with 19 kills on the day - just one shy of her season high - and by Rylen Reid, who tied her career high with 12. The 'Cats also got 16 digs from Drew Wright along with six blocks from Kennedy Hill and five rejections from Kathryn Randorf to lead them defensively.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Wildcats took the first set 25-23 thanks to a strong performance on the attacking side. Northwestern registered a .382 attack percentage with 15 kills in the set victory. The Wildcats rallied from down seven at 12-5 to claim the win.
SET 2 | Northwestern then dropped set two 25-18, evening the match at a set apiece. Northwestern trailed by as many as eight points as Penn State grabbed the advantage for good at 9-8 in a set that was tied up four times before the Lady Lions took over the lead.
SET 3 | A set-three loss put Northwestern down 2-1. The Wildcats came up short in a tightly contested back-and-forth battle, losing 29-27 in a set that featured nine lead changes and was tied 17 times. Neither team had a lead of more than four points along the way.
SET 4 | Northwestern lost the fourth set and the match, falling 25-21. The Wildcats couldn't hang on, losing in a stanza that featured three lead changes and was tied eight times. Neither team opened up a lead of more than four points along the way.
Game Notes
» Kennedy Hill had a team-high three aces in the loss. She now has four aces in her last three matches after never recording one prior.
» Buse Hazan had a team-high 19 kills for Northwestern. She was one shy of her second 20-kill match of the season.
» Drew Wright's 16 digs were her most in a match since the Big Ten opener at Maryland on Sept. 26.
» Northwestern attackers were helped by a team-high 23 assists from Alexa Rousseau, who has now logged 20 or more assists in four of her last eight matches.
Up Next
The 'Cats will return to the court on Sunday in Iowa City when they take on the Hawkeyes for a rematch on the road. That match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CT and will be streamed on B1G+.
