Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
12-5,2-3Big Ten
Rutgers
10-7,1-4Big Ten
'Cats Sweep Rutgers for B1G Road Win
10/10/2025 9:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Northwestern volleyball opened its two-match road trip in dominant fashion on Friday night, sweeping the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena (25-23, 25-18, 30-28).
The victory improved the Wildcats' record to 12-5 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten action, while Rutgers fell to 10-7 and 1-4.
The 'Cats' offense was led by Ayah Elnady, who racked up a season-high 17 kills on .368 hitting to lead the attack. Lauren Carter contributed her third double-double of the season with 26 assists and 11 digs - both team highs - and the team combined for nine total blocks in the match.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The first set was tight most of the way, with neither team holding a lead of more than three points along the way. After Northwestern expanded its advantage to 13-10 on Rylen Reid's fourth kill of the set, Rutgers battled back to a 15-13 lead of its own with a 5-0 scoring run. The two sides traded points from there, tying twice, before the 'Cats finally grabbed the lead for good at 19-18. Six kills from Elnady helped boost the 'Cats to a 25-23 first-set victory.
SET 2 | Northwestern took control of the second set early, taking a 3-2 lead that it would never give up. The 'Cats led by as many as eight points before finishing off the set, collecting 14 kills along the way. Both Elnady and Reid chipped in five kills, and the front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Rutgers attacks. Despite a late rally by the Scarlet Knights, the Wildcats secured the second set by a score of 25-18.
SET 3 | Set three was the closest yet, featuring 13 ties and four lead changes before Northwestern finally closed out the victory. Rutgers had the edge through most of the second half, going up 14-13 and holding the lead until it reached set point, 24-22. Reid then kept the 'Cats alive with a kill, and a bad set by Rutgers evened the score at 24-all. The two teams traded points from there, playing through five more set points before the 'Cats finally closed out a 30-28 set-three victory and a 3-0 sweep over Rutgers. Kayla Kauffman produced two clutch blocks in the late stages to help Northwestern along, and Elnady racked up six kills with zero errors in the frame to seal the deal.
Game Notes
» Ayah Elnady and Rylen Reid both collected at least four kills in each of the three sets against Rutgers.
» Elnady's match-high 17 kills were her most as a Wildcat, topping her previous high of 16, set against Oregon (9/28).
» Elnady hit .405 in the match, marking the second time this season that she has finished with 10 or more kills on a .400+ attack percentage.
» Northwestern got a team-high 11 digs and 26 assists from Lauren Carter, good for her third career double-double. All three have come in the last three weeks, accounting for three of her last five matches.
» Rylen Reid extended her double-digit kill streak with 14 against Rutgers. She has now recorded ten or more kills in 14 straight matches.
Up Next
The 'Cats return to action tomorrow evening, when they visit the No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions in University Park. First Serve is set for 7 p.m. CT on B1G+.
