Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
12-6,2-4Big Ten
Penn State
10-6,4-2Big Ten
Wildcats Fall 3-1 at No. 19 Penn State
10/11/2025 9:34:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Northwestern volleyball forced a fourth set against the No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions, but ultimately couldn't finish the job, posting a 3-1 (18-25, 20-25, 25-20, 16-25) loss on the road at Rec Hall.
The loss dropped Northwestern's record to 12-6 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play, while the Nittany Lions improved to 10-6 and 4-2.
The Wildcat attack was paced by Ayah Elnady for a second consecutive night; the graduate student finished with 15 kills in the match. Bella Bullington also reached double digits in the kill column with 11, while Lauren Carter fell just shy of a double-double with a team-high 20 assists alongside nine digs.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Wildcats fell behind early, losing the first set 25-18 to their ranked opponent. Penn State grabbed the advantage for good at 7-6, growing the lead to as many as eight points before finishing off the set. Elnady led the way early for the 'Cats, accounting for four of the 'Cats' 10 kills in the frame.
SET 2 | Northwestern faltered again in the second set, falling behind 2-0 in the match with a 25-20 defeat. After Penn State led the way throughout, Northwestern narrowed the gap to as little as four points at 21-17. The Nittany Lions held fast, however, using a .345 team attack percentage to roll to victory in the set.
SET 3 | Northwestern fought back in the third to force a fourth set in Happy Valley. Propelled by a strong showing on the attacking end, Northwestern won the set 25-20 to cut Penn State's lead in half. The Wildcats put together a .375 attack percentage with 14 kills in the set win, eight of which belonged to Elnady alone. The Wildcats ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point to finish out the set on an ace from Bullington.
SET 4 | Northwestern couldn't build off the set-three victory and fell in set four, 25-16, to drop the match. The Wildcats trailed by as many as nine points as Penn State grabbed the advantage for good at 15-14 and Northwestern wasn't able to recover. The Nittany Lions picked up the win by a final score of 3-1 over the 'Cats.
Game Notes
» A match after setting a season high, Ayah Elnady once again led the Northwestern offense with a team-high 15 kills.
» Northwestern got a team-high nine digs from Lauren Carter, who fell just shy of her fourth double-double of Big Ten play.
» The 'Cats have won at least one set against every conference opponent they have faced so far this season.
» Bella Bullington set a season high with 37 total attacks. Her 11 kills marked the fourth time she has reached double figures in six Big Ten matches in her career so far.
Up Next
The 'Cats return home next week for a pair of Big Ten matches at Welsh-Ryan Arena. They will first host Michigan on Thursday at 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network, then they'll welcome rival Illinois to Evanston on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
